Dead Ever After the RIGHT Way
by Texanlady
Summary: Picks up 200 yrs after the 13th book. If you don't want to know how Harris ended her book don't read this story. I hated her ending, and felt she betrayed the characters, the story, and us, the paying readers, so I decided to write the ending we all thought we'd get after 13 years. Eric and Sookie all the way! Eric and Sookie find their way back to one another in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Spoiler ALERT! I am picking up this story 200 years after the end of DEAD EVER AFTER! That means by reading it you'll know how Harris ends her story. Like shit in my opinion. I had to write this last night after hearing how Harris ended the story. I am going to give us a Happily Ever After in EVERY WAY! So far this story will be about 5-6 chapters. Not terribly long as I'm going to ghost over the rough stuff to give only the good parts we were all deprived of by CH!

Dead Ever After the Right Way

2213

"Are you sure I cannot change your mind?"

"No."

"There is nothing I can offer you to stay?"

"Nothing."

Freya watched Eric pack the last of his things in his carry on bag and zip it closed with a definitive swipe of his hand. The room her royal consort had lived in next to hers for the past 200 years was now devoid of everything save the set of black suitcases sitting at the end of Eric's bed. He'd brought only his clothes when he'd come to Oklahoma so many years ago, and she really should have known then that he'd never really be hers. She'd given him power. She'd given him status. She'd given him a place at her side … but none of it could replace the woman he'd left behind. None of it could convince him to extend their marriage.

There had never been a day in her two centuries long union with the Viking that Freya didn't know he was at her side unwillingly. He'd told her the night she'd come to collect him at Fangtasia that by forcing this marriage from him, forcing him to leave behind the only woman he'd ever loved, she'd made an enemy of him for life. Eric had sworn that once his 200 years were up he'd find a way to destroy her, but Freya had hoped he'd simply been being dramatic. She'd hoped that once he came to her side and realized that what she'd offered him was so much better than what he left that he'd be happy.

She thought he could be happy as her consort. She had done everything she could to make him happy. She had told him he could continue his relationship with Sookie. She had offered to allow the girl to even live in his room here in the palace with him. When he'd made it clear Sookie would not leave her home, she'd offered to let him travel to Bon Temps two weeks out of each month to visit with the girl, but even that concession had done nothing to sway Eric to her way of thinking. Eric had tried to tell Freya that if she forced the marriage it would cost him Sookie, but Freya had truly believed that the telepath would follow Eric to Oklahoma. When Sookie had stayed behind and married the shifter Freya had been shocked. Eric? He'd been heartbroken, and then furious. Heartbroken that Sookie would not follow him. And furious at Freya, and there wasn't one day in the past two centuries he hadn't let her know it.

Yes, having Eric as her husband for the past 200 years had served its purpose. Having such a powerful husband had kept the wolves from her door while she strengthened her kingdom. With her state's prosperity growing by the day with the growth of the Indian casinos and climbing populace, more and more vampire monarchs had started to look her way. Freya knew she was young for a vampire ruler, and with her maker dead, and her only sibling uninterested in supporting her, she'd known she needed a marriage to boost her power base. The only problem was that she needed a husband that wasn't a monarch that would try to assassinate her and take over her kingdom. She'd needed a husband consort. A vampire strong enough to make other vampires pause at the idea of a hostile takeover, but one that couldn't afford to assassinate her without being held responsible and facing the true death.

When Appius and his disturbed child had caused such a ruckus in her state she'd leapt at the chance to offer the ancient vampire a way out of his crimes in her state in exchange for having Eric. Truthfully, Sookie had nothing to do with Freya wanting Eric. It had always been about having the strong vampire to stand at her side to help her maintain her position. Eric had certainly done that. He'd thwarted over four takeover attempts as her husband consort, and he had trained all her sheriffs and personal guards. Her state was four times as fortified, and ten times as rich since she'd married him.

But now as she watched him call for his dayman to collect his baggage and take it to the waiting transport, she couldn't help but wonder what the cost the past 200 years of security would be. She hoped that Eric was not sincere in his desire to kill her. She would have spies watching him from the moment he stepped foot out of the palace. As she'd had spies watching him since he first arrived, but she knew what Eric was capable of. She'd been paying close attention the last two centuries. If Eric wanted her dead, she doubted she'd be able to do anything about it.

Still, she didn't think Eric had the right to truly be mad. In exchange for Felipe De Castro not whisking Sookie off to Vegas when Eric had come to Oklahoma Freya had agreed to an alliance with De Castro's regime. As Felipe's kingdom was so spread out it made it difficult for him to maintain control of all his territories. Therefore Freya pledged support and troops for De Castro's people in Louisiana and Arkansas should any monarch decide to take the state in exchange for Eric being married to her for 200 years instead of 100, and for Felipe promising to allow Sookie to live her life freely. Felipe had found the vampire support of Freya's state for two centuries to protect his boarders more valuable than Sookie's telepathy. Thus, Sookie had been released entirely of her duties to Felipe De Castro, and was protected by the Louisiana vampires while she lived in Bon Temps. No one could bother her, and other than a few disturbances over the years that were quickly handled, no one had. Sookie Stackhouse had finally escaped vampire politics.

Beyond the gratefulness Freya felt that Eric owed her for protecting his precious telepath, she felt he had no reason for being angry with her since she hadn't truly cost him a life with Sookie. Not only had she offered to let him keep Sookie while being her consort, but with the effects the Cluviel Dor had on the girl Eric really couldn't blame her for the loss of the girl in his life. Freya could admit she was as shocked as everyone else in the supe community when the effects the ancient Fairy artifact had on Sookie came to light.

About 50 years after Eric had come to live in Oklahoma with her word had come to them that Sookie's shifter had died. Eric had chosen not to go to the funeral, wanting to remember Sookie as she had been and not the old woman she was supposed to be after five decades. Instead he'd sent Pam, who had become sheriff of Area 5 when he left. She'd been forbidden from having any contact with Sookie once Eric had left for Oklahoma, but the death of Sam prompted the Viking to send his child to check on his former wife and lover. Eric's child had traveled to Bon Temps for the first time since they'd left Louisiana to offer their condolences to Sookie on the loss of her husband. When Pam had arrived she'd been shocked to see a still young looking Sookie. The telepathic fairy former barmaid still looked as young as the day she'd used the Cluviel Dor to save Sam over five decades before.

Apparently while the talisman had saved Sam's life it had also extended Sookie's in some way while giving her an all new power. For all intents and purposes when Sookie had slapped that fairy bauble down on Sam's chest and commanded, "Live", she had indeed been given the gift of life. She could now heal with a touch, and no one knew just how long she would live, but many were guessing she was now as immortal as vampires.

Her ability to give life manifested itself in other ways as well. While married to Sam over five decades Sookie had given birth to 11 full blooded shifters, and by doing so had garnered herself the full support of the shifter community without any of the vampires knowing. If anything shifters were even more secretive than vampires, and they kept the secret of Sookie's new life span and abilities well.

So when Pam had shown up to give Sookie Eric's condolences and seen her former human friend still as young and vibrant as before she couldn't run to Oklahoma fast enough. She'd barged into Eric's office while he was meeting with Freya's security personnel and told him that Sookie was still young. Hearing that Sookie would still be alive once his two centuries of forced marriage to Freya were over had been the only bright spot in Eric's life. And Freya had hoped that it would lessen his anger with her. In fact she had encouraged him to reach out to Sookie now that she'd had time to mature, now that her husband was gone, and see if the girl would be more accommodating in respect to Eric's political marriage.

Eric had taken her suggestion and had reached out to Sookie. Her response had been the same cold silence Eric had forced upon her as he'd made his deals with Oklahoma and De Castro. Freya didn't know why, but Sookie was apparently angry with Eric agreeing to the marriage and making the deals with her and Felipe that he had without informing her about them. Apparently she felt Eric had abandoned her and his love for her. When Sookie did not reply to his written communications Eric had traveled to Bon Temps himself to try and speak to her, but she'd made it apparent she could not forgive him for simply leaving without telling her. She could not forgive him for refusing to fight for her, and she could not forgive him for thinking she could be his other woman. She'd sent Eric away with instructions to never come back. He'd left her behind, and she wasn't interested in trying to reclaim what he'd walked away from.

Freya thought that the foolish telepath was just being prideful and would allow Eric back into her life after she had time to get over her husband's death and her own foolishness. She'd been wrong again. About 20 years after Sam Merlotte died Sookie married a part demon part human hybrid named Marcus that was directly related to the ruling house of the fire demon realm. Even if she hadn't had the protection of De Castro and Oklahoma to keep other vampires away from her she sure as hell found herself nice and safe once she allied with the demons. As far as Freya knew they were still together and living the safe and vampire free life Sookie had built herself in Bon Temps. They'd even racked up 22 children of their own that were just as powerful as their parents over the past 130 years. It seemed that Sookie had decided if she couldn't be with the man she wanted she would give her love to the many children she had.

Once word had reached them that Sookie married the part demon Eric's anger at his situation had only grown, and Freya knew he blamed her for the loss of his once mortal lover. Freya had tried to point out that Sookie was the one that refused to understand their political alliance and left him for the shifter, she'd tried to point out she was the one that refused to come to him once that shifter died and instead married a demon, but Eric would hear none of it. He placed the blame solely on her shoulders, and Freya feared he really did intend to make her pay for it.

She knew her only hope lied in him succeeding when he returned to Shreveport. Last year, with the impending end of his marriage to her, Eric had contacted De Castro and asked to be reinstated as the sheriff of area 5 in Louisiana when his duty to Oklahoma was done. While Eric didn't say so, everyone knew he was returning to be near Sookie. De Castro had approved it easily, and it wasn't hard to guess that he was hoping Eric would bring Sookie back under his control now that she couldn't be forced into vampire politics with her alliance with the fire demons and shifters. Even if De Castro didn't have to technically stay away from Sookie once Eric's marriage was over, he knew trying to control her as he once had would no longer work. She had become a supernatural force to be reckoned with even though she refused to take part in their world's politics.

So now, watching her former husband consort preparing to leave for good, Freya tried one last time, "Eric, you know I never meant to cost you a life with her. I tried to make it easy for you two to be together while you were here. She was the one that refused to be with you."

Eric turned his unrelenting gaze to his former wife, and hissed, "I told you forcing the marriage would cost me her, and you refused to believe me. You stole her from me, Freya, and I will make you pay for it."

"Am I truly so horrible, Eric? Is wanting to secure my kingdom and people a terrible thing? I am a ruler, I had to think what was best for my people."

"What was best for your people was a vampire ruler strong enough to stand on their own. You didn't separate me from my lover and wife to protect your people, Freya, you did it to protect your wealth and power. Petty reasons, and you will pay for them. I don't care if it takes me a thousand years, one day I will make you suffer as you have made me suffer."

Narrowing her eyes, Freya hissed, "Well then maybe I shouldn't let you leave at all!"

Eric let out a bark of harsh laughter. "You idiot. Our contract clearly states you must deliver me back to the location you retrieved me from. Completely unharmed. Fangtasia may be nothing but an abandoned lot now, but you must still return me there perfectly safe or you will be in violation of our marriage agreement, and the Council will dethrone you and give you the true death. And since Felipe has already said that none of your people may cross into his territory when I report to Area 5 I fail to see how you will accomplish my death tonight without causing your own. Not to mention are you absolutely sure that the security people I've trained in the past 200 years will attack me on your command?"

Freya's eyes darted nervously to the hallway where several of her guards were waiting to escort Eric out. No, she wasn't entirely sure they would obey her if she ordered them to kill Eric. The truth was that Eric tended to inspire loyalty from his underlings. That's just the kind of vampire he was, and it was why he'd been so effective as her husband consort, but it wasn't helpful now.

Looking back at her former husband, she tried one last time, "Eric, I didn't force her out of your life. I didn't force her to choose the shifter over you, and I didn't force her to choose the demon over you. I needed an alliance with you, and was more than willing to allow you to keep her. She is the one that refused to follow you here after we were married. She is the one that refused you entry into her life. That isn't my fault."

"It is your fault, and you will pay for it."

Eric said no more as he picked up his last two bags and headed out of the room he never wanted to see again. His dayman had already retrieved most of his bags, and Eric wanted to leave the prison he'd been trapped in the last 200 years as quickly as possible. Pam was already in Shreveport preparing for his arrival. He had much to do to reclaim his area. Much to do before he could approach Sookie again. She may not want to see him, and she may be married, but he had not endured the last 200 years to keep her safe to not fight for her now. His maker was dead and no one could ever force him into a marriage again. He would call Sookie Stackhouse wife again … no matter what it cost him.

A few hours later Eric's rental car pulled up to the abandoned lot that used to be Fangtasia. Pam had closed it and opened up an exclusive club and bordello elsewhere in Shreveport once Louisiana legalized prostitutions. Eric wasn't sad at the loss of the club, it held far more worse memories for him than good, but he couldn't help but stare at the place he had first met his lover with a certain amount of nostalgia.

He wasn't given long to wallow in his pity before Pam's posh sports car pulled up. In the past 200 years technology had definitely gone green. Cars might still look much the same as they always had, but each one came with a battery that ran the car completely and took at least 50 years to deplete. Gas was a thing of the past, but cars were still very much status symbols.

Pam put her car in park and moved to stand beside her maker as she stared at the spot the bar they used to own and run together once stood. She could practically hear the thoughts in his head, and tried to talk him out of this madness he seemed so insistent on.

"Eric, she will not see you, and she is not to be trifled with these days. Regardless if she is with Marcus or not, she will have the protection of the fire demon royal house for the rest of her days. Not to mention the shifters surround her like she is the mother to all of them, and not just the litter she birthed for Merlotte. Her children all seem to have inherited her lifespan. Even the oldest still looks like he's in his twenties. Her demon children are just as dangerous as their father. The youngest one killed a vampire with a fire ball when he was 11. She is well protected."

"I'm glad. It is one less worry for our life together."

"Are you serious?"

When he did not respond, Pam tried again, "Eric, what is it you hope to accomplish by coming back here?"

"I am going to get her back."

"She's married."

"Not for long."

"Eric, she's been with Marcus for 131 years this winter. She has over 20 children with him. She's built a life for herself in Bon Temps that doesn't include vampires."

He knew that. He knew that his deal with Freya and De Castro, as well as Sookie's connections with shifters and fire demons, had turned Bon Temps and much of the immediate surrounding areas a vampire free zone. There were many weres, witches, shifters, demons, hybrids, etc that had settled in the area to be free of supernatural politics. It had become something like Switzerland. In fact, there were far more supernaturals in Bon Temps than there were humans, and they all seemed to live peacefully together sequestered away from the rest of the world.

Eric was glad that Sookie had built the danger free life she had wanted for herself. He was glad she'd been able to have the children he couldn't give her. Though he was hopeful that once he got her back her ability to give life would extend to his own seed. If it did he would truly be able to give her the kind of life she wanted, but if not? Well she'd already had plenty of children by her previous two husbands.

He knew that Sookie's life was safe … but it was also devoid of passion. Of that he was certain. There was no doubt that her marriage to Sam had simply been a marriage of convenience between friends. Initially he'd understood why she married the shifter. She hadn't wanted to spend her life alone. None of them could have predicted how the Cluviel Dor would affect her. But when she'd remarried after Sam died Eric could admit he'd been pissed. By then it was apparent that Sookie would still be around when his marriage to Freya was up. As arrogant and unfair as it sounded, Eric had wanted her to wait for him.

They were soul mates Damnit! Didn't she understand that? Sookie said it herself. He "got" her. He understood her because they were the same. They both fought for what they believed in and loved. They both refused to give up. They had gone through so much, sacrificed again and again, suffered repeatedly, and there was no way that Eric was going to let it be for naught. He knew it would not be easy, and he knew that Sookie was going to fight him every step of the way, but he was going to get her back. He was going to blood bond to her again. This time with her full participation, and then they were going to get married. He wanted a huge one to. With Felipe and Freya sittng in the front row. He wanted them to see him with Sookie as his wife, as she should have always been, before he killed them both for what they'd made him suffer.

Oh yes, he blamed Felipe just as much as he blamed Freya. Felipe could have stopped the wedding from happening, but chose not to. Instead he'd used Eric as a bargaining chip to further his own goals. Just as Freya had. They had both taken from him, and he would ensure they would pay for it. Then he would ensure no one could ever do it again. The past 200 years had taught Eric that while ruling was a pain in the ass, it was the only way to be able to love freely.

The night he'd found out that Sookie's lifespan had been expanded by the fairy trinket she'd used to save Sam, Eric had decided he'd take Felipe's and Freya's territories. He already had his plans in place. His meeting with Stan was tomorrow night, and the takeover would happen soon after. Nearly all the guards in Freya's palace were loyal to him. She had been a fool to put him in charge of her security. Even the spies she had "watching" him right now worked for him. They would report back only what he told them too. Not to mention Pam and Rasul, who had been put in charge of New Orleans by Felipe, had steadily been filling the state with vampires loyal to Eric. In a week's time Felipe and Freya would be in chains, and Eric would be king of four states. Two of which he would be trading to other monarchs for their support almost immediately. Stan and Texas were powerful allies, but they came with a heavy price. One Eric was all to willing to pay in order to win the ultimate prize. Eric had no intention of going after Sookie until he'd killed his enemies and could lay the kingdom at her feet. She would be his wife and queen. She would rule beside him, and no one would ever separate them again.

Pam stood beside her maker, and when he said nothing else, she suggested, "I'm not saying taking the territories is a bad idea. I don't want to be under anyone's thumb any more than you do, but I think going to Sookie once you are king is a mistake. She will not accept you, and I think you are setting yourself up for more pain. Your relationship with Sookie has cost you so much, and I don't want to see you suffer more."

"I appreciate your concern, Pam, but I will not be swayed. I have spent 200 years suffering away from my lover, and I will not suffer 200 more. I understand she's mad, but I don't care. She is my wife. She has always been my wife, and it's time to remind everyone else of it."

"And what of her husband?"

"I am her husband."

Rolling her eyes, Pam amended, "Fine, what of Marcus then? He might only be half demon, but he is still powerful and connected. Not to mention whatever that Cluviel Dor did to Sookie made sure each of her children are just as powerful as their fathers. She's got her own army of half fire demons and shifters, Eric, not to mention all the allies she has in Bon Temps. She practically owns that town now."

"She has done me proud these past two centuries. She has achieved all I knew she could, but it means nothing. We are meant to be."

"And if she disagrees?"

"Then I will have to change her mind."

Shaking her head slowly, Pam muttered, "This shit is going to get bad."

Eric's fangs snapped down as he grinned at his child with true happiness for the first time since he'd last been with his lover. "No, my child, things are about to get very, very good."


	2. Chapter 2

Ok people, seems to be a bit of confusion. First, what has happened to Sookie in my story so far is mainly all me. It's what I decided to have happen to her because I HATED what Harris did to her in the end of her series. Hence why I said my story starts 200 years AFTER the end of DEA. I'm the one that made Sookie immortal with the Cluviel Dor. Not Harris. I'm the one that gave Sookie the gift of life. I decided since Harris had tortured Sookie over 13 books, taking away one person she loved after another, that my Sookie in this story should be able to save her loved ones with just a touch. I'm the one that decided if Sookie couldn't be with Eric she should at least be able to surround herself with children she could love.

Second, Sookie has 33 children. NOT 130. Vic, tried to message you, but your private message function is disabled. Sookie had 11 children with Sam over the course of 50 years. She has been married to Marcus for 130 years, and during that near century and a half she had another 22. I had Pam use the term "liter" because of the correlation vamps consider shifters have with animals.

My way of thinking with the so many children is so that Sookie can have someone to love unconditionally. She got her safe vampire free life, and filled it with children to love. I'm setting up her marriage with Sam and Marcus as marriages of convenience with friends so she won't be lonely. So to my mind she would definitely want children to fill the void in her life. So she felt like she lost the love of her life for good reason. It's not like Octomom. Remember her first 11 children were born over 50 years and most children were adults and moved out of the house before Sookie had more.

The connection Sookie has with the shifters and demons is all me. Her taking over Bon Temps, and it becoming a safe haven for supernaturals is all me. This story is me correcting the many wrongs that I feel were committed at the end of the official series.

Harris stuck Eric in OK for 200 years, and left Sookie in Bon Temps with Sam. Everything else in this story is all me.

I thought this story would be about 5 or 6 long chapters to bring a satisfying end to DEA, but I've changed my mind. I'm going to do a bunch of shorter chapters that showcase the evolving relationship between Eric and Sookie. Expect time gaps like the one in this chapter. So basically I'm saying now that it will end when it ends.

No beta or proofing. As is.

Chapter 2

"Sookie."

She knew that voice. She would always know that voice. Even after two hundred years it still had the ability to reach inside her and make her heart and stomach flutter. That voice would always fill her with an indescribable heat and longing. No matter how much she wished it didn't.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sookie finally turned around and looked at the man she hadn't seen since he broke her heart so callously. He was still as devilishly handsome as she remembered him. Just as she hadn't changed a bit since the night she'd saved Sam with the Cluviel Dor so many years ago, so had Eric remained just as unchanged by time. He still had that easy grace, the look of confidence and power, and that damned arrogant smirk that made her want to slap him!

Squaring her shoulders, and refusing to let his blatant perusal of her body disturb her calm, Sookie greeted stiffly, "Eric."

Eric couldn't keep his eyes from taking in every tiny detail of his former lover, and soon to be wife. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. He'd, of course, known she had stopped aging, but knowing and seeing are two different things. A part of him had believed that the rumors of Sookie's new immortality were untrue and she really had been lost to him for eternity, but seeing her before him now put the last of his fears to rest.

She was real.

She was right in front of him.

He could have her again.

_He would have her again!_

His eyes flicked to the young woman at Sookie's side. The girl was obviously Sookie's daughter with her striking resemblance to his stubborn fairy. Taking in her features Eric determined this was Tara, one of Sookie's demon children with her second husband. A girl named after Sookie's long dead human friend, and a very powerful half demon according to the background checks Pam had provided him.

Eric didn't want to cause a scene with Sookie and her daughter, but he'd known approaching Sookie in public was the only way he'd get to speak to her. There was no way he could even get close to her house with all the safe guards she had now. Truly, Sookie had fortified all of Bon Temps from outsiders to keep her home safe. While he was glad she didn't have to worry about being attacked at her farmstead anymore, it did pose some accessibility problems for him now. He would have much preferred privacy the first time Sookie and he spoke, but by this point he'd take what he could get.

He'd been back in Louisiana for three months. Just as he'd planned, the week he returned he met with Stan and Russell. In exchange for their supporting him against Freyda and Felipe, he'd promised Nevada to Stan, and Arkansas to Russell. That left Oklahoma and Louisiana to him. The fight to take down Felipe and Freyda had been embarrassingly easy. With a simple phone call Eric had Freyda's own guards, the ones he'd trained over his two centuries as royal consort, take her into custody and secure the palace. From there it hadn't been hard for Russell's troops to secure the rest of the state.

The night of the takeover Felipe had been in New Orleans doing his yearly check in with his sheriffs and meeting with the vampire that had replaced Victor Madden. With the loyal forces Pam and Rasul had been inundating the state with it hadn't been hard for Eric and his people to completely overpower Felipe. Stan had swept through Nevada with his Texas vampires just as easily, and by the time everything was said and done the take over of Felipe and Freyda's kingdoms took less than three hours.

What had taken so much longer was getting all the proper paperwork for transfer of power done between Eric, Stan, and Russell, and then Eric setting up his new regime in Louisiana and Oklahoma. The past three months had been hectic and filled with the tedious task of securing his reign, but now all the heavy lifting was done, and it was time for him to speak with Sookie. He'd been shamelessly stalking her for the last 4 nights, and he'd decided now was his best opportunity.

"Sookie, I need to speak with you."

Sookie looked at her 22 year old half demon daughter, and said, "Sweetie, why don't you go see if they have the dinnerware set that Corbett and Amanda registered for. I'll find you in the food court."

Tara darted her eyes to the unknown vampire that had approached them before asking her mother, "You sure, mom?"

"Yes. It's fine. I know him and I won't be long."

Eric watched the half demon girl walk away after tossing him one last weary glance. When she was gone, he said, "You have beautiful children."

"Cut the shit, Eric, why are you here?"

"What? No hello?"

"I'd rather be saying goodbye. Just tell me why you're here so I can get back to shopping with my daughter."

"For a wedding gift, yes? Your son Corbett is getting married soon?"

Sookie didn't know how he knew about her son's upcoming nuptials, and she didn't care. Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she warned, "You'd better stay the hell away from my family, Eric. I don't take shit from vampires any more. Not even you."

Arching a brow, Eric couldn't help but ask, "You think I am a threat to your children?"

"I think any vampire is a threat to my children."

"I have never been a threat to you and yours, Sookie. Never. If nothing else that must have been known to you."

She wasn't going to get into this with him. She didn't want to rehash the past. She didn't want to be talking to him at all. She just wanted him to say what he was here to say and then leave her alone. She might have all the time in the world now, but she'd long since reached the point where no matter how long her future she wasn't willing to waste a second of it on bullshit again.

She'd learned a lot in the last two centuries: about herself and about the world around her. She wasn't the naïve girl she'd been when she'd first garnered Eric's attention in Fangtasia. She might still look young, but she'd gained wisdom in her 228 years on this planet. She'd gained insight, and she'd gained a sense of self that no longer allowed her to let people walk all over her.

"I'll decide what is a threat to my family and what isn't. Now, why are you here?"

"Because we have things to discuss."

"I really don't think we do."

Eric waited only a second before declaring, "I want you back."

Silence filled the air, thickening it with Sookie's quietly growing rage. One heartbeat. Two. With the third her eyes narrowed dangerously as she demanded, "What?!"

Taking a step closer to Sookie, Eric explained, "I have taken out Felipe and Freyda. They are locked in my dungeon in my new Shreveport compound, and I will give them the true death soon enough. Right now they are being punished. I am king of Louisiana and Oklahoma. They took much from us, lover, but I am here to take it all back. We can have the future we were meant to have."

When Sookie did not respond, Eric continued, "I know this situation is not ideal, and I know I have a lot to make up for, but I refuse to lose you again. I want—"

SLAP!

Sookie felt the satisfying sting in her palm as it connected with Eric's cheek and hissed, "Go fuck yourself Northman!"

He watched her spin around, intent on walking away from him, but he was not going to let her go. Reaching out, Eric grabbed Sookie's arm and jerked her back to his chest to claim her lips in a kiss before she could stop him. He hadn't seen her in over 100 years, not since Sam died and he'd gone to her to try to again convince her to come to Oklahoma with him. He'd missed her fire! He'd missed her!

His mouth slanted over hers before she had a chance to respond. When her lips parted in a surprised gasp he pressed his advantage and slipped his tongue inside the warm cavern of her mouth to stroke along hers. His hand abandoned her arm so he could dig his fingers into her still long and golden hair to tilt her head back further for his heated assault. For a precious few glorious moments he had Sookie back in his hold. He savored her long lost taste and felt something inside him finally relax after 200 years apart … but the sensation did not last long.

Sookie may have been furious and surprised at Eric's sudden declaration and embrace, she might have been momentarily stunned, but she regained her wits quickly and brought her knee up as hard as she could. Her smile was pure satisfaction as Eric let out a grunt at her move, and vampire or not, couldn't help falling to his knees as he clutched his boys.

Glaring down at him, wishing it would take him more than a second to be back on his feet, she snapped, "Don't you ever fucking touch me again! You stay the hell away from me, Eric! We're through!"

Eric could admit that Sookie's response to his kiss had been entirely unexpected. He thought she might push him away or slap him again like she had so many times in the past. Never did he think she'd simply knee him in the groin and walk away. The years had definitely changed Sookie, and despite the quickly fading pain in his cock and balls, he liked her new inner strength.

The moment he no longer felt shooting pain between his legs he was moving. He had planted himself directly in Sookie's path before she'd made it ten feet. She might be immortal now, but he was still a vampire, and he would always be faster. "We are not done talking, Sookie."

"Oh yes we are."

"No, we are not." Refusing to be swayed by Sookie's angry stare, Eric insisted, "I have things to say to you, Sookie Stackhouse, things I should have said 200 years ago, and you are going to hear me out."

"What the fuck could you possibly have to say to me that will change anything, Eric?"

"I was wrong, Sookie. I was wrong not to tell you what was going on those last few months. I should have let you know that there was literally nothing I could do to stop the marriage. I should have let you know that only Felipe could stop it since Freyda refused to call it off. I should have let you help me try to find a way out, and if you couldn't then at least you would have known how hard I tried to find a way on my own. I should not have kept the distance and silence I did between us after Appius died. Sookie, there are so many things I did wrong."

At Sookie's stunned expression, Eric continued, "I realize that most of what was wrong in our relationship was my fault. I kept saying that you were the one making things difficult, but you were only doing what you thought was best in face of the limited information I allowed you. I should not have tricked you into marrying me. I should have discussed it with you. I should have let you know that yes, it was a way to keep Felipe and Victor from you, but mostly it was because I wanted you to be mine. I wanted to call you wife."

Taking another step closer, Eric poured his heart out in the middle of a mall. "But I didn't. I tricked you and took the choice from you, just as the choice was taken from me, and now I understand how that made you feel violated. For that I am sorry, but even more I'm sorry for not telling you once it was done that the marriage wasn't just a political maneuver to keep you away from Felipe. I married you in the fashion I did for your safety, but the reason was because I love you. I loved you then and I wanted you for my wife. Just as I love you now."

When Sookie backed up a step from him, Eric refused to allow her retreat and followed. "I left you guessing and in the dark time and again, my lover. I should have told you how I felt about you as soon as I regained my memories. I should have brought you to my side as my wife and equal, but a thousand years of keeping my own counsel and solving my own problems had me keeping you at arms length. It was wrong of me, and I fear it is part of the reason Felipe and Freyda were able to separate us. I know now we were stronger together than apart, and I should have let you help me save us. I own those mistakes now. It is not easy for me to do, but I am admitting to you that I was wrong to handle our relationship as I did. I am here to fix my mistakes and do a better job as your husband this time."

Sookie could only stare up at the much closer face of Eric Northman in total shock. Never in a million years would she have expected him to approach her in the middle of a crowded mall like this to be so open with her. So forthcoming. It was mind boggling.

Finally allowing his words to process in her mind, Sookie shook her head and backed up again as she denied, "Eric, showing up here and making some grand speech isn't going to wipe away the past 200 years. Maybe you did marry me out of love, but it is a moot point now. What's done is done, and we are most definitely done. I have a new life now, and it is one that does not include vampires."

Ignoring her words, Eric stared straight into Sookie's eyes and demanded, "Look me in the eye and tell me you no longer love me and I'll walk away right now and never return. Look me in the eye and tell me your heart is no longer mine, and I will go."

Stepping forward Eric gripped Sookie's arms and pulled her back into his chest. When she tilted her head back to keep his gaze he let his fangs snap down and growled, "But if you can't know I won't stop. I will never stop or fail again when it comes to you. I love you, Sookie Stackhouse, and if you still love me I'm going to get you back."

When Sookie said nothing, Eric grinned. "You can't, can you? I see it in your eyes even now, my lover. You might be angry, and you have every right to be, but you still love me."

Darting her eyes to the side, suddenly feeling 27 again, Sookie insisted, "No I don't."

"Look me in the eyes and say that."

Sookie looked up into the intense and stormy blue eyes of Eric Northman and suddenly her mouth ran as dry as the Sahara. Just as it had in the past, when she looked so deeply into Eric's eyes the rest of the world fell away and it was just the two of them. She felt herself falling into him again, but forced herself to put up one last fight.

"Eric, I can't give you what you want. I'm married and I'm happy."

"You settled. You settled with Sam, and you're settling with Marcus. Neither of them have your heart. Neither of them have your passion."

"Eric, you can't just—"

"Get your hands off my mother, vampire!"

Eric and Sookie both turned to see Tara standing a few feet away from them. Her hands were lit with her fire and she was glaring at Eric with deadly intent. 200 years ago a part demon threatening a vampire with fire hands in the middle of a mall might have been cause for alarm, now it just had the human shoppers discretely leaving the immediate area to let the Supes handle their disagreement.

At the sight of her daughter, Sookie shook off Eric's hands as she said, "It's alright, Tara. He wasn't going to hurt me. In fact he was just leaving."

"No I wasn't," Eric denied. He eyed Sookie's daughter warily as he said, "But she is correct, I was not going to hurt her."

Tara's eyes darted back and forth between the unknown vampire and her mother as she demanded, "Who are you?"

"Eric Northman, King of Louisiana and Oklahoma."

Tara, not knowing her mother's past, shrugged, and said, "Yeah, we heard there was a new fanger king, but that doesn't make you our king. If you don't back away from my mother I'm going to light your ass up right here in this mall!"

Eric couldn't help but grin at the blonde fireball in front of him. "You are so much like your mother."

Stepping between Eric and her daughter, Sookie tried to diffuse the situation. "Tara, put your fire away. You're not going to start a fight around so many humans. Eric, you need to go."

"No."

"No way!"

Well that had accomplished a lot. Letting out an annoyed huff, Sookie ordered, "Tara Summer Stackhouse-Radke! I am your mother, and I'm telling you to put your fire away right this second!"

"But mom! He's—"

"No buts! Now, Tara!"

With a clearly disgruntled expression Tara let the fire disappear from her hands. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her mother and the strange vampire equally. She'd only been trying to help!

Her daughter dealt with, Sookie faced Eric who seemed amused by the altercation. With only her eyes she let him know he'd better drop that damned smirk if he didn't want to get kneed in the balls again. When Eric sobered his expression, she said, "We're leaving, and I want you to stay away from me Eric. You aren't a part of my life anymore, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Prepare to be disappointed then. I told you, Sookie, I'm going to get you back. Whatever it takes, however long I must pursue, none of it matters. You were my wife, and you will be my wife again."

Leaning forward Eric dropped a kiss on Sookie's cheek before she could stop him and said, "Expect to hear from me soon."

And then he was gone.

Muttering about damn arrogant vampires and their damn arrogant ways, Sookie turned to face her daughter and asked, "What are my chances you'll drop this?"

"Snowball's chance in hell mean anything to you?"

"Figures. At least let me get a cookie and a cup of coffee from the food court if I have to talk about this. I deserve some chocolate."

"I thought you were on a diet for Corbett's wedding?"

Grabbing her daughter's arm and leading her further into the mall, Sookie replied, "Not tonight I'm not. Come on. I'll tell you what all that was about, but you have to promise to let me speak to your father about it before you going running that mouth of yours Tara."

Following after her mother, Tara asked, "Who the hell was that guy, mom?"

"My ex husband, and future pain in the ass."


	3. Chapter 3

NYC wanted me to remind you that most of my MA work is up over on the new blog. Including "The Arrangement", which NYC is co-authoring with me. All the oneshots aren't up, but NYC and SouthernLady are working to get everything up.

I obviously have no idea what kind of technology they are going to have 200 years in the future. So instead of trying to come up with future technology lingo I'm just going to refer to things the way we know them, and hope you visualize futuristic stuff. Ok?

One guess reviewer brought up a good question, and I'm going to try and explain it here. This reviewer asked:

_:I like this. I guess I just have residual gruff with Sookie but I find it_

_curious she a supposed super Supe but in all her 225 years she still never_

_grasped or educated herself about the fact Eric NEVER had a choice in the_

_Freyda **. Shifter Sam, Royal daemon hubby Marcus, super Sookie yet still_

_grudging Eric for spending 200 years as a salve? But thats the same old Sookie_

_with harsher judgments for Eric. Makes you wonder why he still wants her. Must_

_b the masochist in him. Lol_

This is a good question, and the answer is that Sookie **has** learned this over the last 200 years. She knows now that Eric had no choice but to marry Freyda. What she is upset about is the fact that Eric didn't tell her a thing. He just left her in the dark telling her he was handling it until all of a sudden it wasn't handled. In my mind Sookie feels like Eric didn't fight for her, **for them**, because he didn't give **HER** a chance to fight for them. Think about it, in the story line Harris had Eric inform Sookie about Freyda, then gave her months and months of silence. Then suddenly he divorces her, leaves for OK, has Sookie banned from Fangtasia and from seeing Pam, and has negotiated for her future once again without talking to her at all. He discussed nothing with her, included her in none of his attempts to thwart the marriage, and didn't let her know at any point how close they were to being over despite his attempts to make it otherwise. He just blindsided her with the divorce and left for OK. To her it must have seemed like he just gave up, and didn't care enough about them to let her try and help save them. So to me, THAT is what Sookie can't get over.

No beta or proofing. As is.

Chapter 3

"Who was that on the phone?"

"You know who it was, Sookie."

Letting out a tired sigh Sookie set her book down and focused on her husband. "Marcus, I'm sorry. Just ignore it. Sooner or later he'll give up."

"Really? From what I've heard of the legendary Northman he's not one to give up lightly. Just look at what he's doing to Felipe and his ex-wife. They thought he'd give up too. Look how well that has worked out for them."

Sookie couldn't help but wince at her husband's words. She may not be involved in the politics of the supernatural world, but that did not mean she wasn't privy to its goings on. Just as she knew of Eric's takeover long before he'd approached her, she knew now what he was subjecting Felipe and Freyda to in his court on a nightly basis. Eric was pissed, and he was letting everyone know by taking it out on Felipe and Freyda every night in front of his entire court. From what Sookie understood he hurt them so terribly it was often hard for them to heal the next evening even with donor blood. That didn't keep Eric from starting all over again, however.

Shaking her head to rid itself of the images Marcus's words had caused in her mind, Sookie insisted, "You have nothing to worry about, honey. I'm done with Eric, and he won't do anything to hurt my family."

Moving to sit on the couch next to his wife, Marcus countered, "Sookie, I know you would not cheat on me. That is not my problem with all of this."

"Marcus, I don't want to get into this again. We've talked about it and I've said all I have to say."

It had been six months since Eric had approached her at the mall, and just as he'd promised, he'd began a relentless pursuit of her. It didn't seem to matter to him that she was married. It didn't seem to matter to him that she refused to take any of his calls, returned all of his letters and emails unopened, and never answered any of his invites to dinner at his new home or to any of the other activities he proposed. Day after day, week after week, month after month he hounded her. She'd tried blocking his number, but he had a new one within moments to call and bother her some more. He even popped up any time she ventured out of Bon Temps at night.

One night a few weeks after Eric had first come to her, Marcus and she had gone into the city for a date. They were supposed to go to a lovely restaurant and then watch a new singer at one of the vintage blues clubs Shreveport was still famous for. It was supposed to be a romantic evening spent with her husband, but Eric made sure that didn't happen. As soon as she and Marcus walked into the restaurant they'd noticed there was no one else there. There was one table sitting in the empty restaurant, and it had three chairs. One of them filled with a very smug looking Viking. Sookie had been mortified, and everything that happened after still amazed her.

FLASHBACK:

_"Eric! What the hell?!"_

_Eric was seated at the only table left in the restaurant and smiled at his ex-wife and her husband. When his spies had alerted him to the fact Sookie and Marcus had reservations at this place, he'd ordered it rented out. Sookie rarely left Bon Temps at night, so he hadn't had a chance to speak with her again, and he thought tonight was the perfect opportunity. Not only would he get to see Sookie again, but he'd also get to make sure Marcus understood exactly what his intentions for Sookie were._

_"Good evening, Sookie. Mr. Radke." Eric's voice was cool and aloof, and while the look he sent Sookie was filled with warmth and affection, the one he sent Marcus was clearly the look of a rival male._

_Grasping Marcus's arm, Sookie said, "Let's go. He's obviously intent on ruining our evening."_

_Marcus refused to be moved, and instead kept his wife in place as he declared, "I'd actually like to hear what he has to say. He's gone to a great deal of trouble to talk to us, and we might as well hear him out."_

_"Marcus, I don't think that's a good idea," Sookie said, trying to tug her husband out of the restaurant._

_"I think it is a marvelous idea," Eric insisted as he waved the server over. "Let's get some drinks, you two can order your food, and the three of us can discuss what needs to be done about our situation."_

_Sookie's eyes narrowed as she hissed, "We don't have a situation, Eric."_

_Marcus knew his wife wanted to leave, and truthfully a part of him wanted to as well, but he felt this conversation needed to take place. When he'd first learned about Eric ten years into his relationship with Sookie, he'd known that the vampire would be a problem sooner or later. With Sookie's new lifespan and Eric so well versed in weathering the ages, Marcus had suspected Eric might come for Sookie when his 200 year marriage was done. Especially if he and Sookie had truly been in love as she described._

_While Sookie had assured him that he had nothing to fear from Northman, Marcus wanted to see that for himself. He needed to see the two of them together to gauge just how much Sookie still thought about and cared for her former husband. Eric Northman had only come up that one time right before they got married, and Sookie had never mentioned him again until he suddenly reappeared a few weeks ago. _

_Marcus was no fool. He knew that the marriage he shared with Sookie was one more based on comfort and friendship than love and passion. He loved Sookie deeply, but he was no more in love with her than she was him. He knew she loved him, but it was in the same comfortable and friendly way he loved her. So he wanted to see if Sookie and Eric still had the same intense passion and love between them that they'd had before, and if they did he would have some hard choices ahead of him._

_Needing to see where this conversation would take them, even if it would take him down a path that lost him his wife, Marcus insisted, "Sookie, I want to stay. He's going to talk to us sooner or later. We might as well get it done."_

_Looking up at her husband, Sookie asked, "Are you sure?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Excellent!" Eric stood and moved to pull out Sookie's chair and continued, "I was hoping neither of you would insist on making this more difficult than it needed to be."_

_Sookie eyed the chair Eric held out for her with disdain, and briefly thought about telling him she'd rather stand, but when Marcus simply patted her arm before gently pushing her towards the chair she decided to take the high road. She lifted her chin, kept her calm, and took her seat like a lady. She felt Eric's fingers brush against her shoulder as he pushed her seat in, but refused to respond._

_A few moments later everyone's drinks had arrived and Sookie and Marcus had placed their orders. When the server left with the menus Eric got right down to business. Looking right at Marcus, he declared, "I want my wife back. You're going to walk away, demon."_

_"Eric!" Sookie's expression was pure shock. She'd expected him to make this night uncomfortable, but just diving into the problem like this was uncalled for._

_Marcus ignored his wife and looked solely at the vampire before him. "First, Mr. Northman, I don't care who you are, or how old you are. When you speak to me you will do it with a certain amount of respect or fear. Either will work for me. I may not be a thousand, but I am certainly dangerous. Not to mention I have just as many powerful allies as you. If you expect to continue this conversation you will address me appropriately. Just as I will you."_

_There was a tense moment of silence as Sookie's eyes darted back and forth between her former husband and her current one. She was torn between wanting to get in the middle of their staring contest, and wanting to stay out of the line of fire. Thankfully, the little standoff did not last long._

_Eric gave Marcus a genuine smile as he complimented, "You have courage. I admire that. I'm glad Sookie has had a strong man to stand beside her while I was away … but I'm back now."_

_"So you are." _

_"I want her back."_

_"So you've said."_

_Sitting back in his chair, Eric took a sip of his blood, and asked, "What will it take for you to walk away?"_

_Sookie was tired of being ignored and began, "Now wait just a damn minute! You can't just—"_

_"Sookie," Marcus interrupted, "please let Eric and I get this over with. It obviously needs to happen. You'll definitely have your say when we're done."_

_"She always does," Eric added._

_Crossing her arms over her chest with an indignant huff much like the one her daughter had treated her to in the mall the other day, Sookie grumbled, "Fine. You two men just let me know when it is ok for me to talk again."_

_Neither male responded to her barb, and instead, Eric pressed, "What will it take?"_

_"What did it take to get you to give her up?"_

_Eric's gaze turned harsh and threatening as he growled, "It is not the same. We were in love."_

_"I love her."_

_"Not enough."_

_Sookie just couldn't keep quiet. "Eric, you don't know shit about my relationship with Marcus!"_

_Setting a hand on his wife's arm again, Marcus implored, "Sookie, please. This conversation needs to happen between Eric and I. We can take it outside if it will make it easier for you, but I need to speak to him without interruption."_

_Looking into her husband's eyes and seeing the plea there for her to not interfere, she relented, "Fine. You two stay here and I'm going to go watch the chef make our food. Maybe I can pick up a few pointers."_

_After Sookie stood from the table and made her way into the back of the restaurant, Marcus focused on the vampire in front of him and asked, "Why are you here?"_

_"I'm here to get my wife back."_

_"She's not your wife. She's mine."_

_"She has always been, and will always be, mine."_

_Leaning forward with his forearms on the table, Eric said, "Bottom line, Marcus, I'm going to do whatever I have to in order to get her back. She still loves me. I saw it in her eyes. We are meant to be."_

_"She doesn't seem to think so. In fact she has been quite adamant about never seeing you again."_

_"It's her anger. I fucked up our relationship last time, and she's angry with me. I'm going to make it up to her."_

_Marcus took a sip of his wine, before trying, "If you are meant to be why not wait for her to come to you?"_

_Eric laughed. "I would if I didn't know her so well. I may not have been her husband for 200 years, but I doubt Sookie's stubborn streak has disappeared in two centuries."_

_"So you think that the reason she is not with you now is because she is being stubborn, and not simply because she no longer wishes to be yours?"_

_"I think her stubbornness is part of it, but I think more so is her sense of duty to you and the life you two have built. She doesn't want to hurt you. I can understand and respect that, but it doesn't change the fact you need to let her go. She will never be as happy with you as she could be with me."_

_Marcus countered, "From what Sookie told me the years she spent as 'yours' were not exactly fun and games for her."_

_Inclining his head, Eric agreed, "I concede the point. Our relationship was filled with more downs than ups, but it only speaks to our love and bond that we still wanted to be together. As I said, I fucked up before. Sookie did make some mistakes in our relationship, but the vast majority of them were because I kept her at such a distance. It kept me from truly understanding what was going on in her life, and it kept her from understanding mine. If anything killed our relationship more than that fucking marriage contract with Oklahoma, it was the fact we didn't talk."_

_Eyes darkening with his pain, Eric finished, "I have made many mistakes in my long life, Marcus, but none so costly as thinking I could treat Sookie and my relationship with her like I had everything else in my life. Something to be managed and controlled. I thought I could handle everything. I thought I knew what was best for her, for me, and for us both, but I was wrong. I'd never been in love before, never been in a relationship, and I should have realized that by being in completely new territory I needed help to make things work. I've learned from my mistakes, and I'm ready to make things right with my wife."_

_"I would appreciate it if you stop referring to Sookie as your wife. She is my wife, not yours."_

_"She was, and she will be again very soon."_

_"You seem so sure."_

_"I am."_

_"Why?"_

_Eric's expression was dead serious as he stated, "Because you love her."_

_Eyes widening, Marcus asked, "Meaning?"_

_"You love her," Eric repeated. "You love her because she is your best friend, and she is the mother of your children. I understand that, but your love can never compare to mine. You might know Sookie better than I do after living with her so long. You two might be comfortable and happy together, but there is no passion between you. Sookie and I may have had much strife and misery in our time together, but we also had fire and passion. We hurt so much because we loved so much."_

_Not giving Marcus time to reply, Eric explained, "She settled with you. She has a good life. There is no denying that, but I can give her so much more than comfortable companionship. Don't you want that for her?"_

_"So if I love her I should let her go?"_

_"As cliché as it sounds, yes."_

_Marcus studied the man in front of him before asking, "What makes you think we don't have fire and passion between us? You don't know us, and truthfully you don't really know Sookie all that well. Not only have you not been a part of her life in 200 years, but even when you two were technically together you spent very little time with one another. From what Sookie told me the most time you spent with her was when the witches took your memory, and after that she was lucky to get a few hours with you a few times a month. So really, the two of you were never really together. Even if you did trick her into being your wife."_

_"A mistake I will not make again. As I said, I fucked up last time. I've learned from those mistakes, and I'm going to do it right this time."_

_"Not if she's mine."_

_"Which brings us back to you needing to let her go."_

_"What if I don't want to let her go?"_

_Eric gave a shrug as he replied, "Then things are going to get very interesting between you and me."_

_Marcus thought about asking Eric in what way things would get interesting, but he didn't want this conversation to degenerate into a pissing contest. That would accomplish nothing. Instead, he said, "You know I'm not going to leave if Sookie doesn't want me to."_

_"Sookie isn't in the right mind to know what she wants. She's too angry and bitter over the way I broke her heart to think clearly."_

_"So you admit you broke her heart?"_

_"I am prideful, Marcus, but I can admit to my mistakes. You don't get to be my age by refusing to recognize your shortcomings."_

_Refusing to look away from the demon's accusing glare, Eric admitted, "I made poor choices 200 years ago. Choices that left Sookie blindsided, hurt, angry, and with no way to resolve what had gone wrong between us. I accept that I owe her more than I can repay, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on us."_

_"Sookie is adamant that there is nothing left to be salvaged between you two."_

_"And I think if you believed that any more than I do you wouldn't be sitting here talking to me."_

_Marcus hesitated a moment. Eric was right. He didn't believe Sookie when she said everything between her and Eric was dead and buried. It's why he'd wanted to stay tonight. He wanted to see if Sookie truly was over Eric, and whether or not Eric's feelings for her were actually love, or just some misbegotten sense of ownership that vamps tended to get._

_And in these brief few moments he'd spent with Sookie and Eric he'd learned all he needed to. The love between his wife and this vampire was most certainly not dead and buried. Marcus didn't know what to do with that information, and instead asked, "And you think just because your marriage is over, just because you realize now that what you put Sookie through was wrong, you have the right to show up here and disrupt our lives? Our marriage?"_

_"Whether or not I have the right to is irrelevant. I'm not here because of rights or entitlements. I'm here because in the past 1200 years I've only been happy, truly happy, a handful of times. Most of my immortal life has been spent in servitude, pain, imprisonment, war, and endless amounts of bored contentedness. I existed before I met Sookie. The highlights of my life were finding someone whose blood didn't taste like chemicals and who was adequate in bed. I knew nothing of being truly happy … until I met Sookie. She made me happy, and when I wasn't being an idiot or being kept at bay by our enemies, I like to think I made her pretty happy too. Everything fell apart when we weren't together, but the times we were? We had it all."_

_Holding Marcus's gaze, Eric insisted, "Our time together was brief and sporadic, but it was still stolen from us. I mean to get it back."_

_Marcus could honestly say he was surprised by Eric Northman, but at the moment he didn't know how to speak to the man. More importantly, he didn't know how to respond to the information he'd gained tonight, or the situation he suddenly found himself in with his wife and her former husband. Needing time to think about what all this meant for him, Sookie, and their life together, he said, "I'm going to go get our car. It should only take me a few minutes since we didn't par far. You have that long to speak to Sookie."_

_Eric didn't argue as Marcus stood from the table and headed out of the restaurant. As soon as the man was gone he put on a burst of speed to join Sookie in the kitchen. She was standing next to the chef watching the rotund man season the lamb she'd ordered. Clearing his throat to get their attention, he said, "Your husband has gone to get the car. He has given me that long to speak to you."_

_Looking at the chef, he ordered, "Finish their meals quickly and get them in to-go boxes."_

_Holding his hand out to Sookie, Eric asked, "May I speak with you before your husband comes to get you?"_

_Eyeing Eric's hand, Sookie finally decided it was best to let him do his talking, and hopefully he'd realize that she was serious about being done with him. She let him lead her out of the kitchen back to the deserted dining room. He didn't lead her to the table, merely to the middle of the floor, and as soon as he brought them to a stop she asked, "What did you and Marcus talk about?"_

_"Ask him when you two leave. I only have a few minutes and I will not waste them."_

_"Fine. What do you want to say to me?"_

_"I love you."_

_Letting out a tired sigh Sookie pinched the bridge of her nose and lamented, "Eric, don't do this. I don't want to get into dead issues with you. What happened between us was intense, but it's over. I've moved on, and you need to move on to."_

_"I refuse for this to be the end of us."_

_"Eric, we ended 200 years ago."_

_"No, we were postponed. Cruelly and against our will I might add."_

_Stepping closer to her, Eric implored, "Sookie, I know what it means to exist. I did it for centuries before you came into my life. I was forced to simply exist again when I had to go to Oklahoma. I don't want to live like that any longer. I want to be free to make my own choices and love the woman that holds my heart freely. I want to make up for everything I did wrong, and I want us to have a chance at the future that should have been ours."_

_Setting her hands on her hips, Sookie scoffed, "Eric, you have no idea what future we might have had! Nothing with us ever went right, and even if that marriage with Freyda hadn't been forced we still probably would have ended up separated. We're too different, and want vastly different things in life."_

_"That's not true. We had obstacles to face in our marriage, but they were not insurmountable. We would have figured it out and been happy, Sookie, I know it. And deep down you know it too."_

_"I know no such thing!"_

_"Stop lying!"_

_He was tired of being calm and rational. Taking hold of her arms he gave her a gentle shake and hissed, "Stop denying what was between us. You're mad about how I handled things? Mad at the way I treated you and left you in the dark? Mad about having no say in how things ended? Fine! Be mad! Yell and scream at me! But stop fucking denying what we had!"_

_"What we had were lies, Eric! All lies! I thought we had love and trust, but then you just divorced me out of nowhere, in front of everyone I couldn't bare to see me weak, and then you married Freyda! And to top it all off you actually asked me to be your other woman! So obviously what was between us wasn't what I thought it was, so I'll deny it all I want!"_

_"I was not asking you to be the other woman! I was asking you to be my woman! I was contractually obligated to have sex with Freyda once a year, and I promise you I never enjoyed it, but she was my wife in name only! I was forced to take the title of her husband, but in my heart there was only you!"_

_"Fuck you, Eric! You wanted me to be a whore for you!"_

_"No! I just didn't want to lose you!"_

_Eric's eyes were raw with his pain, desperate with his need for her to understand! His voice hoarse and strained, filled with so much emotion it chocked out of him._

_"Damnit, Sookie! Don't you understand? I hated asking you to be less than you were! I hated having to take the position of wife away from you and offer you mistress instead, but it was the only way to have you! You know enough about supe politics now to understand I couldn't refuse to marry Freyda. I had to be her husband, but you were all I wanted! You! It has always been you!"_

_As tears filled Sookie's eyes, Eric tried again, "Sookie, you have to know that I never thought of you as anything less than my wife. From the moment you handed me that knife you were mine and I was yours. Before then even. We were halves of the same whole, and having to put you aside for another was the hardest thing I ever had to do."_

_Reaching up to cup her cheek as he stepped so close their clothes were touching, Eric whispered roughly, "I know wanting you to follow me to Oklahoma was wrong. I know the mere idea of it was an insult to you and everything you deserve, but I couldn't bear the thought of not being with you. At the time I thought you were human. I thought you would only have a few decades of life to live. I did not want to spend them away from you."_

_As more tears fell down her cheeks, Eric begged, "Don't you see, Sookie? Don't you understand? I wanted you for my wife. I wanted you for my lover and companion … but I couldn't have you as those things. At least not in the eyes of my world. The only way I could have you was as my mistress, and yes it was wrong and selfish of me, but I couldn't help but want you to be with me despite that."_

_Pulling back from Eric, Sookie asked, "So I was supposed to do it? I was just supposed to accept the fact you were married to another woman? I was supposed to live in her house, sleep under her roof, and ignore all the times you would leave me to be with her? I was supposed to live like that?"_

_"No. You weren't, and it is why your decision to stay hurt me, but did not make me mad. Not with you at least."_

_Looking into Sookie's eyes, filled with the same pain he knew his eyes held, Eric said, "You did what was right for you, Sookie, and I respect you for that, but just because we were forced apart before doesn't mean we can't be together now."_

_"We're not together now because I'm married."_

_"To Sam the sequel."_

_There was a stunned silence between them before Sookie hissed, "Fuck you!"_

_Eric watched her stomp past him and decided to let her go. Marcus should be just pulling up outside, and really, Eric knew he wasn't going to accomplish much more tonight. So instead he called after her, "I'm not going to stop, Sookie! I'm not going to give up on us again! I'm not going to let anyone or anything get in the way of us being together! You love me, Sookie Stackhouse, and you're going to be my wife again!"_

_Sookie didn't respond. She couldn't. She was angry and crying all at once, and she just wanted to go home. She pushed her way past the restaurant front doors and felt relief sweep through her as Marcus pulled up to the curb right then. Talk about perfect timing. She practically dove into the car and ordered, "Drive. I want to go home."_

_When she was gone Eric raked his hands through his hair and muttered, "Fuck. Why can't I ever have a rational conversation with that infuriating woman!"_

END FLASHBACK:

That night when she and Marcus had returned home they'd had a brief conversation about Eric where she'd assured her husband she had no desire to be with her ex. She'd refused to speak to Marcus about the situation since then, but it wasn't easy to avoid the topic. Eric just wouldn't leave her alone. He called, and called, and called. He sent flowers, and candy, and little knickknacks he thought she might like. He was insinuating himself into every aspect of her life that he could, and basically making himself a giant pain in the ass! Just as she'd known he would.

The worst part is that after the night at the restaurant a certain distance had seemed to develop between her and her husband, and it grew by the night. It grew with every ignored phone call from her vampire ex. It grew with every flower arrangement delivered. Every new book that came in the mail with a little note from Eric saying he thought she might enjoy it since he had. The distance grew between them every time Marcus said he wanted to talk about Eric and Sookie refused.

Now, sitting on the couch next to her husband, Sookie could tell he wasn't going to let it drop this time. She expressed as much when she asked, "So what is your problem with all of this?"

"My problem with all of this is you are lying to me, yourself, and Eric."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Marcus?"

"Sookie, I asked you point blank if you still loved Eric, and you told me you didn't. I think it's the only time you've ever lied to me."

Shaking her head, Sookie insisted, "Marcus, I don't—"

"Think carefully before you lie to me again, Sookie. I forgave you for it last time because I truly believe _you_ believed you were over him. He'd just come back, and it had been so long since you saw or spoke to him. So I accepted it when you told me there was nothing between you two, but I've come to realize you were lying to yourself and me."

Sookie felt a tight ball of fear fill her gut as she asked, "Are you leaving me?"

"No. If this marriage ends it will be because you want it to."

"Then I don't understand this."

"Do you still love Eric?"

Sookie hesitated a moment before replying, "I don't think I could ever stop loving him. It was only when he was gone that I realized how much he did for me. If it weren't for him I would have been a slave or dead. He might not have always treated me as an equal, but he never treated me as a slave … and he never lied to me. I will always love him for going against a thousand years of survival and vampire instinct to help a girl that spent more time yelling at him than anyone else."

When his expression turned sad, Sookie hurried, "But even though a part of my heart will always be his, Marcus, I have moved on. A part of my heart will always be yours as well. Just as a part belongs to Sam. I have a big heart, honey, and you know I love freely."

"And differently."

"What?"

Refusing to shy away from the problems that had arisen in his marriage, Marcus clarified, "You love me differently than you love Eric. You love me as you loved Sam. The love you have for Eric is different."

"Maybe, but that doesn't make it more important, and I don't love you the same way I loved Sam. Sam was Sam, and you are you."

"And Eric will always be Eric."

Silence.

Sookie didn't know what to say. For long moments she and Marcus stared at one another before she asked, "So where does that leave us? What is it you want?"

"The question is what you want."

"I want you."

Marcus gave Sookie a watery smile and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. When he pulled back he looked her right in the eye and said, "I want you to think about this, Sookie. I mean really think about it. Our wedding anniversary is in five months, and we're supposed to go to the Moon for vacation. The night before we leave I'm going to ask you again what you want. If you say me I will never bring up Eric again. I will let you handle the situation as you see fit."

"Marcus, I don't need to wait five months. I'm telling you now that I—"

"Please let me finish, Sookie." When she fell silent he continued, "And over the next five months I want you to spend time with Eric."

"What!"

"Hear me out."

Sookie didn't look pleased, but she did motion for him to continue. "I have been offered the chance to work on the Mars space station. You know they are prepping for the second phase of settlement on the planet, and I could really be of use. If I go I won't be back until the week before our trip. I want to take this job, and while I'm gone I want you to meet with Eric at least a few nights each week."

"You want me to cheat on you?"

"Absolutely not. As long as we are married I expect you to be faithful to me, as I have always been to you."

"Then what are you asking?"

"I don't want you to sleep with him, but I would like you to date him. I want you to spend time with Eric to determine if the love and passion you two shared, the heat he claims is still so strong between you, is still there. If it's there, if you can be really and truly happy with him in a way you can't with me, if he can give you things I can't, then you have a choice to make. This obviously isn't easy for me, but I don't want to look back a hundred years from now and have either of us think you made a mistake. I don't want you choosing our life together because it is the safe and easy choice. I don't want you to stay my wife because you're mad at Eric, and I don't want you to be with me just because you're afraid of trying again with your ex. I deserve more than that. We both deserve more than that."

"Marcus …"

Refusing to let his fears or emotions get the best of him, Marcus explained, "Sookie, you came into my life at my lowest point. You are the only thing that saved me from committing suicide when the last of my human family died. My demon family could not understand my heartbreak, and you were there for me when no one else was. I love you. I will always love you, but we both know that neither of us is in love with the other."

A tear slipped down Marcus's cheek as he finished, "But maybe you can have that with Eric. Maybe you two can get past everything that went wrong between you. I don't know, and that's why I need to take this job and give you two a chance to find out. You are my best friend, Sookie, but you are not the love of my life. I think maybe Eric is yours, and I would never forgive myself if I keep you two apart. I love you too much to do that."

"Marcus, I would never leave you."

"I know, but I have the strength to let you go now. If I get back and you wish to be with Eric I will let you go, and I will wish you well."

"And what about our family? Our home here? Our lives?"

"It will always be here. We will still have 22 wonderful children together, I will still be the step-father of your 11 other children, and we will still be good friends. Sookie, it is because I care about you so much that I'm doing this. Above all else I consider us friends and partners. As such, I can't let my desire not to be alone be the reason you aren't with Eric."

"I'm not with Eric because life took us in different directions, Marcus."

"And now life has brought you back together. This is your chance to have resolution between you and Eric, Sookie. This is your chance to find out if you two really can have it all, or if it is time to truly move on."

Sookie fell silent for a moment, thinking over her husband's words. On one hand she couldn't see herself "dating" Eric while married to Marcus, but on the other hand … now that he'd proposed what he'd proposed she'd be lying if she said she wasn't interested. Despite her objections, despite her denials, Eric had been on her mind since he'd first come back. That had to mean something.

She didn't want to hurt Marcus, but he was right, she was no more in love with him than he was her. He had been a great friend that turned friend with benefits that turned boyfriend that turned husband. As he'd said, it had been about comfort and friendship, and she'd been fine with what they were for 130 years. But of course Eric had to come back and screw everything up like he always did!

Letting out a tired sigh, Sookie looked at Marcus and asked, "Can I think about this?"

"I need to let my employers know by the end of the week if I'm going to take the Mars job. You have until then."

"You'll have my answer first thing Friday."

Standing from the couch Marcus held his hand out to her and said, "How about we turn in early?"

"Sounds good."

Sookie left her book on the couch and let her husband lead her upstairs. She knew he felt just as powerful a need to feel connected to her as she did to him in this instant. They might not have a great and passionate love for one another, but they'd spent over a century taking comfort in one another's arms, and tonight would be no different. Tomorrow she would begin deciding whether or not she could date Eric Northman at her husband's urging.


	4. Chapter 4

This is Eric's compound (it is the fifth picture in the first post showing several different buildings):

www . indianrealestateforum ahmedabad / t-gift-city-vibrant-gujarat-dholera-plans-updates- 49711-page2 . html

No beta or proofing.

Chapter 4

"Hi, I'm here to speak to Eric."

"Join the rest of his little fan club over there."

Looking across the street where the vampire guard pointed, Sookie saw a herd of fangbangers with posters bearing Eric's face on it. They were calling out to him, and begging him to take them away from their human existence. After 200 years vampire society was completely out. Vampire monarchs were big celebrities, and with Eric looking the way he did, he'd become an overnight sensation.

Rolling her eyes at the lack of self respect some people had, Sookie focused on the vampire guard posted at the gate of Eric's new Shreveport compound and tried, "I'm not a fangbanger. My name is Sookie Stackhouse and I'm here to see the king."

If possible, the vampire guard would have gone pale when he learned who the blonde woman in front of him was. Not only did every supe in North America recognize the name Sookie Stackhouse simply because she'd made herself into a woman no one wanted to fuck with, but the king had made it _very_ clear she was important to him and to be treated like a queen by all his subjects.

"Uh—I didn't know. Can I just see your ID to verify who you are? I don't want to offend you or anything, the king will have my head if I do, but if you're not Sookie and I let you in it could go bad for me as well."

"Sure."

Handing over her ID Sookie said, "You don't need to be so nervous. I'm not going to tell Eric to take your head. I just need to speak with him."

Quickly scanning the ID, the guard opened the gate and waved her through. Eric's compound was a modern high tech skyscraper smack dab in the middle of Shreveport. He'd quietly seen to its construction under an alias several years before as his marriage to Freyda neared it's end. Thus, it had been ready for use the night he'd taken over.

Usually vampire monarch compounds were in isolated areas to provide a certain degree of privacy from the mainstream world, but Eric had gone a different route. With his royal residence in the center of the city, so very visible, there was no way another monarch could attack his court unless they were traveling. He did have to suffer through a great deal of public scrutiny, but he had his ways to avoid it. Eric's compound was not only where his court was held, but it was also the headquarters for his many businesses. He had thousands of workers, and each and every one of them had been approved by him. The heads of each of his departments were recruited by him personally, and his regime, even as young as it was, already held the reputation of one that was efficient and dangerous. Dangerous because Eric's people were completely loyal to him. He was a firm ruler, but he was fair, and his people loved him for it.

Eric's security was top notch. Before anyone could even enter the building they had to get passed the gate and guard. If you were on the list for entrance, you didn't get in. But Sookie had banked on the fact Eric would hope she'd come to him, and would have taken the measures to pave the way for her. Apparently she was right, and he had.

Making her way into the lobby of the building Sookie went right to the visitor's center and told the receptionist, "I wish to be taken to the king. Right now."

The slim receptionist looked at Sookie with an appraising eye, and denied, "The King holds court the first three hours of every night. Only vampires and other supernaturals pre-approved for audience with the king are allowed to attend. If you need to speak to King Northman you can fill out a request form, and it will be processed as quickly as possible. If this is a state emergency I can put you in contact with a vampire in the King's emergency services department."

Digging out her ID again, Sookie said, "My name is Sookie Stackhouse and I want to be taken to the king right now. I assure you, he will not thank you for holding me up."

The woman's eyes bulged at Sookie's declaration, and she reached forward with a shaky hand to take Sookie's ID. She swiped it quickly through the ID scanner, and up popped Sookie Stackhouse's public file. This really was the girl the King had been forced to give up so long ago. Actually shaking now, the receptionist handed Sookie back her ID and stuttered, "I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I didn't know who you were. I won't make the mistake again. The king wishes for you to be comfortable any time you are on the premises. I'll summon a page to escort you to the King's court. While you're waiting can I get you anything? Water? Tea? A Coke?"

Shaking her head, Sookie said, "I'm fine."

Ten minutes later Sookie was being led into the back of Eric's throne room. It was modern and sleek, but carried an elegance with it Sookie could definitely see Eric's hand in. She'd bet dollars to donuts that he'd helped design this room. Somehow the architecture of the throne room matched the personality of the man itself. At first glance the stone, metal, and glass room seemed cold and unmovable, but the special lighting Eric had in the ceiling caused lights to dance across the walls that somehow gave the room a softer appearance than one would expect. She liked it.

However, as beautiful as the room was she appreciated none of it because her eyes were riveted to the sight of Eric in the middle of the room as he meticulously removed the last of the skin from Felipe's cock. Sookie's mouth fell open in shock as she took in the completely skinless forms of the former monarchs that had taken so much from her and Eric two centuries before. Sookie didn't know how Eric was keeping their skin from growing back, and she didn't want to know.

The vampire page at her side was telling her he'd let the king's attendants know she was here, but Sookie wasn't going to wait for an announcement. She'd heard that Eric was torturing Felipe and Freyda every night, but she'd never expected anything like this. And as much as she hated them for what they'd done to her and Eric, she couldn't let this continue.

Pushing her way through the crowd, Sookie shouted, "Stop it!"

Eric froze where he stood in front of Felipe. He'd started on Freyda tonight. Slowly and methodically removing one patch of skin after another. The removal of the skin around her more sensitive parts had been especially satisfying to him. He truly had abhorred having to satisfy her in bed once a year, and with every swipe of his blade he let her know what he thought of her using him like some sex toy. When he'd finished with her, enjoying each and every time she cried out in pain and begged him for mercy, he'd started on Felipe.

To keep them from rejuvenating he'd sprayed the exposed muscle and sinew with a new silver serum that slowed vampire healing significantly. It was especially helpful in torture, and he was loving finding new ways to use it on the former monarchs. Tonight he'd decided to remove every shred of skin from the two vampires that had robbed him of his life with Sookie. He'd wanted to have them bloody and skinless and on display in the center of his court so everyone would know what happened when someone tried to hurt him and those he cared about. It was a lesson he'd been teaching to his court and the supe world at large every night for almost a year now. And every night his pursuit of Sookie got him nowhere he became more and more sadistic with his vengeance.

Now, hearing the voice of the woman he was determined to call his again, he pushed his rage for the two that had taken so much from him into the back of his mind, and turned to face Sookie. She stood at the edge of the throne room, her purse clutched over her shoulder, and a clear look of horror and disgust on her face. He refused to be cowed by it and stated, "They deserve this, Sookie."

Eyes darting to the savaged bodies of Felipe and Freyda, Sookie felt a shudder of revulsion rip through her. In the last two centuries she'd grown and matured quite a bit, and while she still considered herself kind and merciful, she'd long since learned that enemies needed to be killed as quickly as possible. She was no longer afraid to get bloody if it meant protecting her family, but she did not hold with torture for revenge.

"They deserve to die, Eric, but not this. Never this."

"They have to pay for what they did. I've waited 200 years for my revenge."

"You've got your revenge, Eric. You dismantled their kingdoms, took everything they owned, killed those that were loyal to them, and you've spent nearly a year now torturing them every night. It's done. They're done. You must stop this."

Eric and Sookie were both ignoring everyone around them. They were facing one another and looking at only each other. Eric's suit was spattered with blood, his hands covered in it, and Sookie was a stark contrast in her long white dress. The supes in attendance, all save Pam, were shocked that a human woman was speaking to the feared Northman in such a way, but all were riveted to the scene before them. For long moments the king and Sookie simply stared at each other before Eric asked, "Are you asking me to end this?"

"Yes, yes I'm asking you to end this. Stake them and be done with it. You've taken everything you can from them, and you've more than proven to everyone what you are capable of. This cruelty is unnecessary."

Sookie's eyes softened as she finished, "And while you were many things, Eric Northman, the vampire I knew was never unnecessarily cruel. Has that changed since I was your wife?"

There was a long pause before Eric replied, "No, it has not." Turning around to face his enemies, Eric set his scalpel down on the tray of tools he'd used tonight. Picking up the stake he focused on Freyda and Felipe and said, "You are lucky she is so merciful."

With two quick jabs of his hand he'd staked both Felipe and Freyda, and everyone in court watched as their bodies dissolved right off the large hooks they'd been hanging from the ceiling from. When they were nothing but a puddle at Eric's feet he ordered, "Court is done for the evening. Everyone out … except Sookie."

The room was quiet save the sounds of shoes hitting the floor as vampires, weres, witches, and the occasional humans in the know quickly scurried from the room. Sookie had clearly seen Pam among those ordered out, but she hadn't acknowledged the vampiress. She and Pam had only spoken once in the past 200 years, and that was after Sam died. She wouldn't mind becoming friends with Pam again, but right now her focus was solely on Eric.

When everyone was gone and it was just the two of them Sookie walked closer to Eric whose gaze was hot and intense as he followed her every move. When she was standing right in front of him she looked up into his eyes and said, "We need to talk."

"Are you coming back to me?"

"Eric, it's not that simple. You need to get cleaned up, and then you and I are going to sit down and talk."

Eric hesitated only a second before replying, "Very well."

A half hour later found Eric and Sookie sitting across from one another in the small living area attached to Eric's bedroom. The top five floors of his compound were devoted to his personal use, but no one was ever invited into his personal rooms. Other than his maid, no one came into them but him. And now Sookie.

Declining the drink Eric offered her, Sookie began, "Marcus is going to Mars for the next five months."

"My spies informed me of such."

"He asked that I date you while he's gone."

Eric blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked.

And then asked, "What?"

Uncomfortable with the topic, but realizing she couldn't hide from this, Sookie explained, "Marcus believes that my feelings for you, our relationship, aren't resolved. He wants me to date you while he's gone, and when he gets back he's going to ask me to choose. He's promised to let me go if I choose you."

Eric was crouched in front of Sookie before she finished her sentence. Taking her hands he exclaimed, "This is wonderful, my lover! It will be as it was! It will be better! We will have the life we were meant to have!"

Taking her hands from his, Sookie countered, "Eric, this doesn't mean what you think it does. Go sit back on your couch. I'm here to talk to you, and that's all that's going to happen tonight."

Once Eric had reluctantly returned to his seat, Sookie began, "I have some things to say to you, Eric Northman, and you are going to listen."

Recognizing his own words, Eric agreed, "Very well. I'm listening."

Taking a deep breath, Sookie opened her mouth and let everything she'd held inside her for so long run free. "I loved you more than I knew was humanly possible. You made me feel safe, and special, and wanted, and precious. When we were together I felt like the sky was the limit. I felt normal and sacred all at once. You challenged me in every way, and you got me. I felt like you were the first person to ever really understand me."

Tears filled Sookie's eyes as she continued, "But there was so much wrong with us, and we never could seem to fix it. After the curse was lifted and you left my house and returned to the way you were it broke my heart. That time you spent with me was so beautiful. It was like all the skepticism and coldness that had formed around your heart over the last 1,000 years just melted away. You were just a guy, and you made me feel like a normal girl. I fell in love with you to fast to stop myself. When you promised to live with me, to be my man and take care of me I wanted so much to let you. But I couldn't. I couldn't steal your past from you, and I helped to lift the curse. And then you were gone, and it hurt."

Wiping the tear from her cheek, she said, "Those first few months after the curse was lifted hurt me terribly. I'd always cared about and respected you, but I truly fell in love with you when you stayed with me, and to be cut off from you so coldly tore me up inside. You left and were back to the aloof sheriff I didn't know where I stood with. It hurt me so much, and I can be big enough to admit that I held that pain against you the rest of our relationship. I know that wasn't your fault, and I know that once you got your memories back you tried to talk to me about our time together. I shouldn't have run from you. I think that's when things began to really fall apart for us. Somehow, while still trusting each other, we stopped _trusting_ each other. We both knew we wouldn't betray one another, but at the same time we stopped trusting the other in every other way."

"That is true, Sookie, we didn't—"

"Eric, please. I need to say all of this."

"As you wish. Continue. I will do my best not to interrupt."

Taking another steadying breath, Sookie pressed on. "I felt like I never knew where I really stood with you. I know I meant much to you, but I didn't know in what way. I didn't know what your plans for the future were. I didn't know if you were sleeping with other women at Fangtasia. I didn't even know how you spent your free time, because you spent so little of it with me. It's like the times you were with me were little vacations away from your real life. You told me so little about you and what was happening in your life. So I found myself doing the same.

"I know you cared for me, and wanted to keep me safe, but I didn't know if you wanted the same things with me that I wanted from you. And maybe if I had let you talk to me after you got your memories back I might have. But when you told Felipe you would not die for me, and then you spent months and months ignoring me after Felipe's takeover, it made me so insecure and scared. So when you first told me you wanted to talk, I didn't want to hear it. I found I preferred living in ignorance because I thought you were going to tell me that while you cared about me and wanted to be with me from time to time, you didn't want to spend your life with me, live with me, as you'd offered to do when you were cursed. I thought you were going to propose that I'd be like your favorite or something. Or maybe you'd tell me that you couldn't afford to get any closer to me than you had because I was a liability. "

Sookie could feel the pain she'd suppressed for so long overtaking her as she whispered, "I found that it was easier to avoid hearing bad news and live in ignorance than face you. So I kept pushing you away. I didn't want to feel my heart break. I was good at living with a bruised one."

Wiping more tears from her cheeks, Sookie insisted, "But when I wasn't pushing you away I was looking for signs from you that proved you wanted the same things I wanted. I looked so desperately, but they just weren't there. At least not ones I understood. You hid Freyda from me. If it weren't for Pam I really would have been blindsided by the divorce that night. You didn't tell me about a threat not only to you, but _us_. Then you refused to discuss it with me, and what little you did discuss with me did nothing to allay my fears about us. You kept saying you were handling it, and—well I guess I felt like if you really cared so much about 'us' you would have let me help you. You didn't let me fight for you, fight for us to be together, and I took that to mean I didn't mean as much to you as you meant to me."

Pausing to get control of her emotions, Sookie stated, "I know you wanted me to use the Cluviel Dor to save you from the marriage, but you have to remember that back then supe politics were still very unknown to me. Despite finding myself involved in them so much of the time, I still knew very little of how they worked. To me I couldn't understand the fact you literally couldn't get out of the marriage contract. Not until a few years after you'd divorced me, and by then my anger and hurt at what you'd done behind my back had me cursing your name. Maybe if I had known before I saved Sam's life I would have given it to you to save yourself, but I didn't know, and honestly, I'm glad I didn't because it allowed me to save Sam and end up here. I like who I am now, and I love my children. I love what my life has become.

"I'm not denying that I was to blame for much of the problems in our relationship, but when it came to our relationship ending? How it ended? My anger and pain at it's ending? That was all your fault. You never once told me what was really going on. Just as you'd done so many times before you tried to handle it all by yourself. You decided you were going to make the decisions for both of us, and I had to suffer the consequences. I didn't get any chance to try and help save us, and really, I never knew just how badly things could go. I knew the possibility of a divorce was there, but everything else that happened? Knowing how badly things were ending for us and Pam was an all new torture, and I still blame you for it."

Gripping her hands in her lap, Sookie continued, "I blame you for so much. I blame myself for so much, and every time I think of being with you again I get so angry. But my anger is based off of the pain your loss caused me, and I can't ignore that. I loved you so much that even 200 years later I'm still fucking pissed at how things ended between us."

When Sookie fell silent, Eric asked, "So where does that leave us?"

"I honestly don't know."

Looking at Eric, Sookie said, "But Marcus was right. My feelings for you and our relationship were never resolved. If I'm truly going to move forward in life I have to know."

Eric felt hope flare up inside him as he asked, "Meaning?"

"Meaning that Marcus leaves in two weeks. Once he's gone I'm going to take his suggestion and date you. I want you to know that nothing sexual will take place. As long as I'm married to Marcus I will be faithful. But I'd like to spend time with you. I'd like to talk to you. I'd like to see if those same intense feelings we had before are still there. I want to see if we've both changed enough that we can finally overcome all the obstacles between us."

Eric moved slowly this time, but once again he knelt down in front of Sookie and took hold of her hands as he asked, "And if we have changed enough? If you spend time with me and find you wish to be with me again?"

Sookie refused to answer that and instead said, "We'll talk about that if we get to such a point. For now I'm saying I want to see if we still love each other, if we still feel as deeply for one another as we did before, and more importantly I'm saying that I want to talk to you. Really talk to you."

Holding Eric's gaze, Sookie insisted, "I refuse to try and get back what we had, Eric. You say otherwise, but I know it wasn't great and wonderful. I've known great and wonderful over the last 200 years, and that's not what we had. Was our relationship intense and exciting? Oh yes, but I need more than that. If we're going to do this, Eric, you have to talk to me. We have to talk to each other."

Grinning, Eric assured, "I very much wish to talk to you, Sookie. There is much that needs to be said between us. The night is still young, could I take you to dinner?"

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Pulling her hands from Eric's again and motioning for him to back up, Sookie stood. She swept her bag over her shoulder and explained, "I'm going to spend the next two weeks with Marcus. Tonight we're having dinner at home."

When Eric's expression darkened, Sookie chastised, "Don't be like that. You may not like Marcus, but you will respect him. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here. He's the one that insisted I come to you, that I try to see if we could fix what broke between us. He's making a great sacrifice here, and I for one am honored to be married to such a man."

Eric acknowledged, "He is a great man. A better one than me because I could never step aside and let you go. I do appreciate this chance he's giving us, but I can't help but want you all to myself."

"We'll you're going to have to get over it. I have 33 children now, and my youngest is only 13. And the number of grandchildren I have grows every year. My attention will never be all for you even if we do get back together."

"I would very much like to meet your children and grandchildren, Sookie."

Shaking her head, Sookie denied, "We are a long way from that, Eric, if ever."

Eric paused before asking, "Do they know of me?"

"The older ones have heard the stories. A few of my oldest grandchildren as well. What happened between you and me isn't exactly a secret in the supe world, and while I've worked hard to keep Bon Temps safe and removed from all the politics, people still talk. My youngest doesn't know yet, and Marcus and I have both decided not to tell her. We spoke with our other children, and they know what we're doing. Not many of them are happy about it, but they've agreed not to tell Linda that you and I will be dating while her father is gone."

Sookie's eyes narrowed as she insisted, "And that means that what time you and I do spend together while Marcus is gone needs to be done discreetly."

"I can arrange that."

"I need you to know that I do love Marcus, Eric, and I love my children more than life itself. In the end I'm going to make the decision I feel is best for all of us."

"What is best is you and I together, my lover."

"That remains to be seen."

Turning and heading towards Eric's personal elevator, Sookie called over her shoulder, "I don't want to see or hear from you again over the next two weeks. I'm going to devote them entirely to Marcus before he leaves. He deserves it. I can't imagine what it took for him to insist I do this. He's a better person than either of us ever could be, and his strength and compassion leave me in awe. You will honor him by allowing him these next two weeks with his wife without any more of your interference. Understood?"

"Completely."

Sookie held Eric's gaze as the elevator doors closed cutting him off from sight. When she was alone again she let out a ragged breath and whispered, "What the hell am I getting myself into?"


	5. Chapter 5

Since so many people brought up the throne room scene, I want to address why I wrote it the way I did. From a certain perspective, Sookie barging into Eric's throne room and telling him to stop torturing Felipe and Freyda is a bit disrespectful. I wanted it to be. If you remember, 200 years ago, despite being a telepath that had helped vampires so many times before, whenever she was in the room with them she was expected to bow and be entirely respectful even while they treated her like a commodity, or a pampered asset. Remember when she had to bow before Sophie-Ann and call her ma'am? How she had to act subservient and grateful towards the woman that was responsible for Bill Compton breaking her heart and leading to her Gran's murder? All the times she had to smile at Victor and Felipe and every other vampire instead of speaking her true mind? All because she wasn't a vampire she was supposedly undeserving of their respect.

But this is 200 years later, and in my story Sookie doesn't take shit from anyone. She can command the attention of a room, and she can be heard when she has an opinion. And not just because it is Eric's court either, but because in 200 years she has transformed herself into an educated, wealthy, powerful woman that is not to be messed with. So to me, the throne room scene proved this. It showed that she doesn't even think of bowing and scraping before vampires anymore. Her natural instinct now is to plant her feet and hold her ground. She doesn't care what they think about her because she knows she can take care of herself and those closest to her.

I also wanted the scene to display that Sookie still has the ability to bring out the humanity in Eric. In my mind, Eric loved being a vampire and shunned his human emotions for embracing the predator within. I always interpreted Sookie's place in his life as reminding him that human emotions don't make him weak, and they can be just as enjoyable as his vampire instincts. I wanted Sookie to remind Eric of his softer side, the side that has mercy and warmth.

So that's why I wrote the scene I wrote. If you like my approach, that's great. If you find it disrespectful and makes Sookie look like an entitled brat? That's fine too. To each their own. I will admit that I'm having difficulty walking a fine line of making sure that neither Eric or Sookie has ultimate control in their relationship. Either socially or emotionally. I'm trying to bring them to the point where they are both completely equals. Which was never true before. Eric is at a disavantage at the moment, but that is because he is trying to get Sookie back when she is very content in her current life. So yes, he is going the extra mile to win, but believe me, this story is more like a pendulum. The power might have swung one way for the moment, but it will swing back!

Also, I had one woman PM, and I'd like to address one of her comments. Her PM was very polite, and she was only making a suggestion, but I disagree with her completely. She told me that the whole Mars and Moon trips were impractical and made the story sound fake. I find this entirely inaccurate. I think the notion we won't have colonization on other planets and space in 200 years to be impractical. The truth is they are preparing to expand the international space station and start putting permanent structures on the Moon even now. There is actually an independent Dutch group that is preparing to send a permanent settlement team of HUMAN BEINGS to Mars in 2023. It is a multibillion dollar project, and there is even going to be an international TV show that will focus on the training of the volunteers and the final selection of who gets to go. The fact is that life in space is literally at our door, so of course there will be such extensive space and planet travel in 200 years time. I encourage you all to look into it. It really is fascinating. The Mars expedition, which any person is free to apply for (seriously, they are taking applications!), is one I believe much of the world will be watching with great interest in the next 4-6 years! I think the TV show focusing on the people who will get to go will be one of the highest rated shows of all time. I bet it ends up being like that movie with Jim Carey, the Trueman Show? Or something. I think the whole world will be riveted to the sight of these people that are going to leave for Mars to start colonization, and won't be coming back for decades! If ever!

Go check out Mars One dot com. It is crazy cool!

Karin is Eric's oldest child in the final book. I don't know much about her since I refuse to read DEA. I'm just going to pretend she's a few centuries older than Pam. She is only briefly mentioned in this chapter, but she will be introduced later on for at least one small scene with Sookie.

No beta or proofing. As is.

Chapter 5

"Sookie, this will go so much easier if you will just relax."

"I am relaxed."

"Really? Can you even feel your fingers anymore?"

Sookie's eyes darted down to her lap where her hands were resting with her fingers interlocked. She'd been gripping her hands so tightly that the knuckles were white, and she found Eric was right, she couldn't feel her fingers. Shooting him a glare for pointing out her discomfort she quickly unlaced them and tried to work the feeling back in as she replied, "Well what did you expect! This isn't exactly easy for me, Eric!"

Marcus had left for his Mars mission 11 days ago, and tonight was the first time she'd seen Eric since barging into his throne room a little over two weeks before. He'd called the night after Marcus left, but she'd told him she needed a few days to process everything. Eric had agreed to give her time, and he had left her alone until the evening before. He'd called and asked if she was ready to spend time with him, and Sookie, knowing she couldn't put this off any longer, had agreed to come to dinner at his compound tonight.

Eric had a full time cooking staff that catered to the many human employees and visiting officials, but he'd brought in a special chef from Paris to make Sookie's dinner for the evening. Sadly, while the meal had been wonderful, Sookie just hadn't been able to shed her insecurities and doubts, and thus while she ate and Eric sipped his glass of donor blood the conversation had been stilted and forced. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife, and now that they had retired to Eric's living room he was done tolerating it. Things might have never been perfect between he and Sookie, but they'd never been like this. He wanted her comfortable enough to talk to him like she had been in the past.

In an effort to achieve that, Eric offered, "I know this is difficult for you, Sookie. I know how much Marcus means to you, and I know how uncomfortable a woman with your morals must be dating one man while married to another. So I propose we stop thinking of our situation as dating."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that we simply try to be friends. You've said nothing sexual will take place while your husband is gone, and while I want you very much, I will respect that. So let us try and find the chemistry we had as friends before we ever became lovers. I believe we got along quite splendidly before you took me into your bed."

Sookie couldn't help but laugh. "You mean you flirted with me shamelessly, always tried to get me to leave Bill for you, and kept dragging me into danger time and again."

"I take offense to that, Sookie. If anything you were the one always getting me into trouble. Pam once said you were a magnet for it."

"I never went looking for any trouble, Eric."

"Of that I have no doubt. As I said, Sookie, you were a trouble magnet. It came to you."

They both laughed, and suddenly Sookie felt more at ease. Her whole body loosened from its rigid pose and she let out a sigh and said, "That sounds good. This whole thing has my stomach in knots, and I hate feeling this way."

"Very well then, tonight there will be no discussion of us, our relationship, or what is going to happen in five months time. Tonight we simply talk and relax with one another. So why don't we begin the conversation with a topic I very much wish to know more about."

"And what topic is that?"

"Your children. I wish to know if motherhood was everything you thought it would be."

"Really? You want to hear about my kids?"

Nodding his head, Eric informed her, "If you don't find it too obtrusive, I would like to hear you tell me of your life with your children. I've only met Tara in person, and she certainly left an impression."

Sookie laughed, "I'm sure she did. Tara never met my friend, but she certainly lives up to her namesake."

"Indeed she does."

"So what do you want to know?"

"Start at the beginning and we'll see how far we get before you have to head home."

Shock written on her face, Sookie asked, "You don't want to do any talking? You don't want to tell me anything about how you've been living the last two centuries?"

Eric's expression went cold. "I have not been living the last two centuries, Sookie. I was existing in a constant state of servitude. I fed and I fucked. I fought when necessary, and what time I was not playing Freyda's lap dog I was planning my revenge. Believe me, there is nothing over the past two centuries of my life you would enjoy hearing."

Sookie's eyes filled with sadness as she asked softly, "Was it truly so horrible for you?"

Holding her gaze, Eric asked, "If you had not had Sam and your children when I was taken away, if you had no one to comfort you over the last two centuries, would you have been able to be as happy and content as you are now?"

His words stung her and Sookie realized that if anything, Eric had suffered far more than she had over the last 200 years. He was completely right. She'd been devastated when he'd left, and the first three years had been the hardest, but then she'd discovered she was pregnant, and suddenly it had been easier not to think about the loss of the man she loved so much. She'd had her first child and daughter Adele to fill the void in her heart. Eric? He'd had no one but himself while being forced to serve Freyda much as he'd been forced to serve Appius.

Sookie didn't know why, but she'd never thought of it that way. She'd lost the love of her life when he'd left for Oklahoma, but Eric? He'd lost everything. He'd lost her, his children, his position, his businesses, his freedom, and worst of all he'd had no way of trying to temper his loss as she had. He'd literally been alone with his misery for 200 years.

Tears spilled down Sookie's cheeks as she sobbed, "Oh Eric! I never thought of that! How awful for you! All this time I kept thinking about what I lost, but you? You suffered much worse than I did! Oh God, Eric, I'm so sorry!"

Seeing her sadness Eric moved from the couch across from her and took a seat at her side. Slowly, giving her time to push him away if she did not want his comfort, he pulled her into his arms. Stroking her long hair back as she cried into his chest, he soothed, "Shhh, it's ok, Sookie. My time as Appius's child taught me much about endurance. I did not enjoy my time as Freyda's consort, but at least I was never tortured, and I only had to tolerate her attentions once a year on the night of our anniversary. Other than that, I was merely a soldier and commander for her to order around and keep her safe from her enemies. It was not pleasant, but it could have been far worse."

Tilting her head back so he could stare into her blue eyes filled with tears for him, he promised, "I do not wish to speak of my time in Oklahoma now because tonight I want to be happy with you. I have wanted to speak to you for so long, and tonight I want to hear of your children. I want to hear of your happiness. I want to hear that while my time was not wonderful, at least yours was."

Reaching up to brush her fingertips across Eric's brow, Sookie said, "Not all of it was wonderful. I thought of you often. You were never far from my thoughts, and it was always difficult to push you into the back of my mind when memories of you did resurface. It was hard for me to keep going after you left. I don't want you to think it wasn't."

"And I hope you understand what I mean when I say it pleases me to hear that."

They continued to stare into each other's eyes with Sookie nestled protectively against Eric's chest as he stroked her hair. The air turned thick and intense, and Sookie suddenly found it hard to swallow. Time seemed to stand still around them, and all she could see was _her_ Eric in the stormy blue eyes before her. She'd looked for him so many times in Eric's eyes when the curse had been lifted, and later when his memory had returned. She'd tried time and again to see that beautiful and loving man that had first cracked her heart against the vampire sheriff she'd kept at a distance for so long.

While she'd loved fallen madly in love with Eric while he was staying with her when cursed, it had taken her a bit longer to give her heart just as completely to his sheriff half when the spell was lifted. She'd always mourned the loss of _her_ Eric, but she had indeed fallen in love with the politically savvy arrogant sheriff as well. Now, however, she could plainly see that gentle man she'd come to love so much when Eric had been cursed. Now, looking into his eyes, she could see _her_ Eric staring back at her.

Her own eyes were filled with wonder as she whispered, "I know these eyes. I know this man. I've seen you before."

Eric's fingers dug into Sookie's long locks as he replied, "You've always seen him. It just took awhile for me to find him. When I regained my memories I knew I loved you, but I did not want the life I had promised you. I wanted you as a wife, but I did not want a life of simplicity. I could not reconcile myself to the idea of such an existence. I did not see the appeal, but I do now. I used to believe that I needed power and wealth to ensure my happiness. I did not want to be the most powerful, but I wanted to be powerful enough to not have to bow often.

"I thought that would ensure I could live my life as I wished, and would allow me to be happy, and truthfully I enjoyed giving orders. It was so different than what I had known as a newborn taking them from Appius. But now I understand why you dreamed of the life you did. I understand that nothing else in the world matters than being with the one you love. Money, power, status, none of it matters if you can't spend your time with the person you love most."

"Oh Eric."

"It took me loosing you to understand why I was so happy during that time with you when I was cursed. When I regained my memories I looked back on myself with disgust. I thought my behavior then made me look weak, and my desire to work and live beside you so simply was beneath me. I wanted you, and I loved you, but I could not understand the vampire I was during that time. I could not understand that kind of happiness, but I understand now. I understand and I want it. I want it with you, Sookie."

Tilting her head back to keep her gaze on him as he pulled her closer, Eric insisted, "I want to be with you every night. I want to talk to you every night. I want to spend time with you simply enjoying each other's company every night. I want to be Eric and Sookie every night the rest of my existence. I can't promise you a simple life, because I had to become king to be free, but I can honestly tell you now I would prefer that life to a royal one. I understand its appeal now."

Sookie couldn't take her eyes from Eric's as she asked, "So if I were to ask you to move to Bon Temps with me and live peacefully you would? You'd give up being king and just be my husband?"

"I would. I have already alerted Pam and Karin to the possibility. They are prepared to rule the states together. Karin will be Queen and Pam will be her second. I am more than tired of vampire politics, Sookie. I just want to live my life and be happy. I want to spend my time with the woman I love doing whatever we wish. I can do that now as King, but I can do it just as easily as the maker of our state's monarch."

Stroking her cheek with his thumb, Eric assured, "I realize that the happiness I felt when I was with you that week was because I wasn't spending all my time plotting to stay alive or to keep you safe from those that wished to take you. I was happy with you that week because you are you and I am me, and that week that is all that existed. _Us_. I want that back."

"I have children now. It could never be just us."

"Maybe not, but I do believe it could be us and our family. I believe that what time we are not together could be spent with our family and friends, and that will be almost as satisfying as having you all to myself."

When Sookie's eyes widened, Eric continued, "I want to call your children family. Just as I want all of you to consider myself, Pam and Karin family. Apparently, we will all have centuries to live together, and I want us to do so with affection and trust. I may not be able to have you all to myself, but at least now I won't have to share you with scheming monarchs and bloodthirsty vampires."

God! The life he was painting in her mind's eye was one she had dreamed about 200 years ago. It was all she'd ever wanted, and she could feel the longing build up inside her for it. But then Sookie remembered all the times that it wasn't politics that got in the way of her and Eric being together, and that thought led her to Marcus and the life she lived with him in Bon Temps.

Suddenly realizing how intimate the situation had become, how closely Eric was holding her, how fervent his gaze was upon her, Sookie forced herself to take a calming breath and began pulling away from Eric as she said, "I can't say that isn't what I dreamed of with you back then, Eric, and I can't say your words don't tempt me now, but we are a long way from planning any throne abdications or move ins."

Eric was sad to see the emotional moment they had been sharing dissipate, but he respected Sookie's obvious wish for space. With a final brush of his knuckles across her cheek he allowed her to retreat from him before getting up and returning to the couch opposite hers. Once they were seated facing each other he said, "I know we have much to overcome, Sookie, but I wanted you to know that I have changed. I'm not the vampire I was 200 years ago. Just as you have clearly grown in many ways. I want you to know that I see things differently now, and I value different things. And I'm glad I do. I feel like I truly know what the important things in life are, and I feel it is the only good thing to come of my marriage to Oklahoma."

Sookie was deeply moved by Eric's speech, and her mind was struggling to process everything he'd told her. She decided it was all too much to make sense of right now, and that she'd need some time to consider what it meant for her and the future of everyone she held dear. For now she decided to take Eric's advice and tried to steer the conversation back to lighter topics.

"Eric, I'm going to need time to consider all of this. What you're offering, at one time, was everything I've ever dreamed of, but as you said, things are different now. These next few months are supposed to let us both see if we really and truly should be together, or if maybe we are idealizing something that is time to let go of."

"You doubt our feelings for one another?"

"I'm saying I doubt us. My feelings for you were never the problem. It was everything else that kept us apart."

Shaking his head, Eric pointed out, "Sookie, our feelings for each other, yours especially, were always a problem between us."

"What are you talking about?"

"If there was anything you doubted more than me it was your own feelings. You blamed the bond for the love I invoked in you, and I'm going to hazard to say that it caused some rather unpleasant behavior on your part towards me. You gave the bond far too much credit, and you assumed it was some way for me to control you. It was not. The bond could not create emotions that were not there. And even after you had it removed, which you definitely should have warned me about, you still doubted your feelings for me. It was like you loved me, but didn't want to."

Sookie could clearly hear the pain in Eric's voice and see it in his eyes. She was still amazed by this Eric that was completely comfortable with dropping all of his shields with her now. She was amazed that he was comfortable baring himself to her as he was, and she decided she wasn't going to shield herself either.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to love you, Eric, it's that I was afraid to."

"You were afraid to love me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't sure I was strong enough to lose you. Eric, all I knew of love was my relationship with Bill, and you know how that ended. I already cared for you before you came to stay with me when you were cursed, and after I fell in love with you and you left I was always waiting for you to break my heart. I was so intent on watching you, trying to be prepared for it, that I didn't notice I was breaking my own heart a little more each day."

Trying to understand, Eric asked, "Is this why you held me to a different standard than your other suitors?"

"I didn't hold you to a different standard."

Eric's eyes narrowed in annoyance as he insisted, "Oh you most certainly did. It was like you were punishing me for Bill's mistakes. And what's worse is that you didn't hold anyone else to such standards. You held me to a much higher accountability than Bill, Alcide, or that fucking tiger. And if I fell short of your expectations, or if I did anything you seemed to find fault with, you punished me. I was never shown the forgiveness that you had so readily for Bill during your relationship with him. He treated you poorly when you were his, and yet you forgave him time and again for many grievous trespasses. I was shown no such leniency."

"Well excuse me for not wanting to make the same mistakes I made with Bill with you! And I didn't punish you!"

"You did. You would refuse my calls or send me from your home. You say I did not spend enough time with you, but was I always supposed to go crawling back to your door each time you kicked me out? Every time I tried to talk to you about us and our relationship after regaining my memory and you pushed me away, was I supposed to hound you? Was I supposed to chase you while you ran from your problems?

"I didn't want to do that. I love you, Sookie, but I wasn't going to engage in such behavior, and I didn't want to push you before you were ready to talk. So yes, many nights I did not reach out to you because I was waiting for you to give me some indication you actually wanted me with you. It's like you expected me to be the one to always apologize and offer repentance after every fight or trouble we had. Whether it was my fault or not. It was like you expected me to always be the one that bridged the gap between us. I didn't mind coming to you, Sookie, but was it too much to ask you meet me half way from time to time?"

"That's not what happened, Eric!"

Arching a brow, Eric asked, "Isn't it? I seem to remember calling you, and coming by your house a number of times. How many times did you come to see me? How many times did you come to my house to discuss our relationship? How many times did you come to Fangtasia to try and get me to talk to you about what we were? It's like the only times we were allowed to be together or talk were when you wanted to. I admit I kept information from you. I admit I tried to hide the problems my world posed for us from you, but when did I ever keep myself from you?"

Leaning forward with his forearms resting on his knees, Eric asked, "When did you ever come to me to talk and I sent you away? When did you ever come to spend time with me and I sent you away simply because I did not want to be with you at that moment for whatever reason? And I understand that Bill hurt you and you wanted to avoid pain like that again, but why did I have to pay for his mistakes? When did I ever hurt you as badly as he did?"

Sookie sat in shock at Eric's words. Is that truly what he thought? Did he truly think she'd been punishing him for Bill's mistakes? Did he truly think she'd held him to a higher standard? An unfair one? Did he truly think that she'd always expected him to apologize for all their problems? That she expected him to chase her? And what was worse, is had she? Had she done those things?

Sookie was silent as she cast her mind back 200 years to replay her memories of their time together. Her mouth feel open in shock as she realized he was absolutely right. Eric had never once sent her away when she'd come to him. Not unless there was danger where he was at. Yes, he'd shielded her from Felipe and Victor's scrutiny, and he'd kept his distance after she'd killed Appius, but not once had he thrown her out of his house or sent her away when she'd come to him. A deep sense of shame filled her as she realized it was true. She really had held Eric to a different standard, and she really had punished him for things he hadn't done.

"Oh God, Eric! I can't believe I did that! I was so childish!"

Eric was pleased that Sookie was finally ready to face the fact one of the problems in their relationship was in how she behaved. He loved her, he truly did, but back then she was prone to running and hiding when there was some emotional problem she didn't want to face. He was glad she had matured past that.

"Sookie, I understood. It was why I was willing to give you time. In all fairness, you did have a lot to deal with in a relatively short period. I just wished you hadn't saved your courage and level headedness for every problem but ours. It would have been nice if you'd save a little bit for us."

Seeing Eric's boyish smile, Sookie felt some of her self-loathing diminish. He was obviously trying to lessen her growing guilt, and she appreciated it. "I wish I had saved some for us too. Now that I look back on it I can't help but wonder why you bothered with me at all."

"I loved you too much to let your insecurities and misplaced anger keep us apart."

Eric, feeling that they'd more than made headway for the evening, and truly wanted to just relax and enjoy his time with his lover, suggested, "Now how about we get back to you telling me about your children. There will plenty of time for intense discussion later. Right now I want to hear about your time as a mother. Starting with the first pregnancy."

Thoroughly ready to wade out of the deep end of their emotional battle, Sookie offered, "Well let me just say the magic of being pregnant wears off with every bought of morning sickness and every night of heartburn or gas."

"Really?"

"I'm not saying pregnancy doesn't have it's up points, but I definitely enjoy having my body all to itself."

"If you dislike pregnancy so much why have so many children?"

"I love kids, and for some reason or another I seem to forget how uncomfortable being pregnant is, and how painful childbirth is between pregnancies. Then I get pregnant again and it all comes roaring back to me."

Eric couldn't help but laugh. Sookie had the most disgruntled expression on her face, and he found it adorable. "Well I hope the actual childrearing was everything you'd thought it would be."

"Oh it was." Sookie's eyes took on a new softness to them as she said, "The first time I saw Adele I was in love. When I took her in my arms I truly understood what it meant to love someone unconditionally. And seeing her grow up? Watching her learn and play? It made my heart sing."

Leaning back on the couch, Eric said, "Tell me more. Tell me everything."

So Sookie did just that. She and Eric stayed up until dawn as she told him what it was like having children. She shared some of her greatest memories with them. Explained in detail what the terrible two's were, and made him laugh his ass off when she told him her first embarrassing experience with explaining the birds and the bees to a child when Adele asked her where babies came from. Eric only laughed harder when she assured him she was a pro at it now, and didn't even bat an eye at explaining the difference between a penis and a vagina to one of her kids.

It was only when the suns rays forced Eric to take shelter did Sookie leave. The night had ended on a high note, and Sookie promised to call Eric the next evening so they could set a time to get together again. They hadn't discussed their relationship any more, but there had been a definite shift in the tone of their new understanding. So when Sookie kissed his cheek and left his penthouse apartment with a little wave, Eric felt his chest near to bursting with hope. She would be his again. He knew it.


	6. Chapter 6

No beta or proofing.

Chapter 6

"Do you think we'd still be together if things had turned out differently?"

"What do you mean?"

"If Felipe had agreed to dismiss the marriage contract for you, if you hadn't had to marry Freyda, do you think you and I would have made it?"

Sitting up, Eric considered Sookie lying beside him. It had been two months since they'd first started whatever this was. They didn't see each other every night, but at the very least they talked on the phone. The rapport they'd built since that first night was everything Eric could want. They spoke, and freely. They did not shy away from any topic. Even the painful ones were tackled head on until they each came to understand the other's view and together they were able to move past it. It had made for some painful moments during their "dates" over the last two months, but more importantly it allowed them to move forward.

While he and Sookie did not engage in anything sexual, they had become intimate in so many other ways. There were many nights when Sookie would lie on the couch with him, just resting against his chest as he stroked his fingers through her hair while they talked. There were many nights where he lay with his head on her lap while she did the same. Their time together may not be sexual, but Eric was glad that they had progressed to the point where they both felt comfortable with taking comfort in each other's touch.

The first time he'd tried to hold Sookie's hand, she had withdrawn from him. She'd insisted that they needed to maintain boundaries while her husband was gone. He'd agreed to respect her boundaries, but had insisted that even friends offered physical comfort to one another. It hadn't been easy, but slowly he'd gentled Sookie to his touch, and now it was second nature for them to cuddle together, hug as soon as they saw each other, or hold hands. Eric was even humble enough to admit it was the only thing keeping him going. He had touched no other woman since Sookie had come to his court over two months ago. He'd been celibate, and promised her that he was hers until she decided what she would do. If she picked him? She would be his one and only for the rest of their days. He refused to contemplate what he would do if she chose Marcus instead. He simply couldn't let that happen.

They rarely left his apartment because Sookie did not want any pictures of them in the paper to upset her children, but tonight he'd taken Sookie to an abandoned field for a picnic so they could star gaze. He'd flown them and there wasn't a road for miles so he knew no one would be taking any pictures. Now, staring down at her lying on the picnic blanket beside him, he decided how best to answer her.

It was actually a question he'd asked himself many times over the years, and while his heart hoped they would have been strong enough to love their way through their differences, the pragmatist in him knew that was unlikely. The cold hard truth of the matter is that he and Sookie had been to different back then, too unwilling to change or yield for them to make it. While he did not relish having spent the last 200 years away from her, he knew that it was that time apart that had allowed them to grow into the people they were. She was more understanding, more tolerant, and definitely more aware of the harsh realities of the world around her. While Sookie had carved out a living for herself that left her and her family in relative peace, she had also hardened enough that she would never again hesitate to strike any enemy down if they threatened her.

And he had grown in many ways as well. Namely the strength of his heart. Before he'd always viewed tender and loving emotions as something to control, something to suppress as often as possible. Back then he'd believed loving made one weak, but now he knew the truth. Love made a person strong. Before he'd tried to hide his love, hide his affection for Sookie in order to keep her safe. He knew better now. He would love her openly, freely and without holding back. He would no longer move in the shadows to protect her, but instead make it apparent to any and all that he would sacrifice everything to keep her happy and healthy. And most importantly he'd make it known the world over that he would lay waste to any that attempted to harm her.

Yes, they'd both grown, and because they now held nothing back in their discussions, Eric said, "It hurts me to say it, but I very much doubt we would have made it back then."

"Yeah, I think you're right. We loved each other, it's just …"

"We were both too set in our ways at the time to bridge the gaps between us."

Sookie sat up on the blanket and lamented, "I know, but I still wish it had ended differently."

"As do I, but it is in the past, and I am determined to look to the future."

Sookie was quiet for a moment before she said, "I want to ask you a question, and I need you to answer honestly."

"Sookie, I have sworn to never lie or withhold things from you again. If you have a question I will answer it, even if the answer will not please you."

"If the queen had sent you would you have seduced me as Bill had?"

Eric actually flinched. This was a question he'd always hoped Sookie would never ask him. Even back when they were still together before the Oklahoma debacle he'd hoped she'd either never think to ask him, or have the courage to ask him, because it was a question he never would have lied to her about it. Even back then.

Reaching out to take Sookie in his arms and pull her into his lap, Eric answered, "Yes, Sookie, I would have."

When she began to struggle in his arms he begged, "Please, Sookie! Please hear me out!"

"Let me go!"

"Sookie, you promised you would not run from our talks. You promised we would communicate, and I very much wish to communicate with you now. Once you hear everything I have to say if you wish to go home I will take you back to your car, but first you must hear me out."

Sookie finally went still in Eric's arms, but remained rigid as she grumbled, "Start talking."

Eric knew he could hold nothing back, and explained, "Sookie, you know how I am. I do not believe in unnecessary cruelty to humans, but that does not mean I think highly of them individually. I have spent too long a part of my world's politics. I am a survivor and pragmatist, and am willing to make sacrifices or cross lines if it means keeping me and mine alive. Therefore, if the queen had ordered me to seduce a telepathic girl in her territory and deliver her to court I would have done so. I do not agree with what she did, and I would have suggested other courses of action if she had made me privy to her plans, but ultimately if she asked me instead of Compton I would have weighed the discomfort I had with doing such a thing to an innocent against my safety and prosperity. You know now what would have happened to me if I would have disobeyed a direct order from Sophie-Ann, and throwing my life away for a girl I'd never met was not something I would have done then or now."

It was an ugly truth. A cold, ugly truth, but Sookie couldn't exactly fault Eric for it. She knew he was the type of man, type of king that would not come up with such a plan on his own. No, if he had been king back then he would have simply approached her with a business deal, much as he had once she'd gone to Fangtasia and revealed what she could do. Eric was not the type of man or vampire to prey on the weaknesses of the innocent. He would exploit each and every one his enemies had, but regular people had nothing to fear from him. But he was also the type of man that kept the big picture in mind. Back when he was a sheriff he might not have liked the plan the Queen had come up with, but if he'd been ordered to carry it out he would have to prevent being executed. And she couldn't exactly have faulted him for that.

When Sookie said nothing to his explanation, Eric declared, "There is one major difference in what Bill did and what I would have done in the situation."

"And what is that?"

"Once I realized just how magnificent you are I would have let you know the Queen sent me, and hopefully you would have allowed me to help you negotiate with her."

"Are you certain about that?"

"Yes. Bill did his best to keep you from finding out he'd been sent because he did not want to lose you, but I never would have built a real relationship with you based on such deceit. If I was sent to seduce you to ascertain whether or not you could read minds I would have done so, but once I fell in love with you the threat Sophie-Anne posed to me would not have kept me from telling you the danger you were in. Just as I defied Andre in that hotel stairway, and just as I defied Castro by marrying you, I would have defied Sophie-Ann and told you the truth. Even if it meant you would never be mine again."

Sookie was silent as she considered Eric carefully. She could tell he was telling the truth, but she wasn't certain it was enough. To hear him admit he would have seduced her just as Bill had hurt. But at the same time she was better able to understand the position he would have been if it the Queen had sent him. Just as she better understood the situation Bill had been in. In her many years she had learned there were definitely grey areas when it came to life and honor. She wished it wasn't so, but she couldn't control the world. She finally decided it didn't matter. Eric hadn't been sent, and even if he had, as he said, he would have told her the second he realized he cared for her. Something Bill had never done, and thus she'd never forgiven him.

When Sookie said nothing, Eric asked, "Do you want me to take you back?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." Pushing Eric's shoulder so that he'd lie back on the picnic table, Sookie cuddled up against his chest and said, "I don't want to go back. I'm not happy you would have come to seduce me, but I'm not a naïve human anymore, Eric, I realize what would have happened to you if you outright refused. And I know once we met you would have told me the truth and done your best to help me, just as you always have, and because of that it doesn't matter to me. You're not Bill. You may not be a pillar of virtue and mercy, but you are a good man. And considering you've lived in the supe world for over 1200 years that says a lot."

"So we're good?"

"We're good."

Eric felt the tension that had built in his body relax, but he didn't let it last for long. Since Sookie had asked him such a devastating question tonight, he felt it only right he be allowed to do the same.

"Sookie, I wish to speak to you about your marriages."

It was Sookie's turn to tense up, and she immediately denied, "I don't want to get into that with you right now, Eric. Let's swap stories and enjoy the rest of our night."

"No, Sookie, this is important. I don't want us to leave these conversations to the last minute."

"Eric, I don't—"

"We promised no running, Sookie, are you going back on it?"

"Eric, I'm not running from it. I know this is something we need to talk about, but I'm not ready to tonight."

"Sookie, _please_."

She didn't want to talk about this tonight. She didn't want to get into why she'd married Sam and Marcus, and she certainly didn't want to discuss the details of her marriages with Eric. But she couldn't bring herself to say no now. The desperate look on his face, and his practically begging her had her agreeing, "Ok. Let's talk."

Eric was glad she'd stayed in his arms, glad she wasn't pulling away from him, especially with the topic of their conversation. It was a good omen, but he knew he and Sookie still had miles to go before thing would be right between them.

Tightening his hold on Sookie, Eric asked, "I'm pretty sure I know why you did it, but I need to hear from you. Why did you marry Sam?"

"Because I couldn't stand to be alone anymore."

Sookie took a deep breath and explained, "Eric, when you left it broke something inside of me. It felt like my heart had been ripped out and for months afterwards I just wandered around in a daze. And when I wasn't numb my emotions were so erratic. One second I would be so depressed I actually wished I'd died in the fairy war, and then the next second I would be so angry I wanted to drive to Oklahoma and burn Freyda's house down with the two of you in it. I hated you so much sometimes."

It hurt him to hear her say that, but he could understand the sentiment. When she'd married Marcus, making it clear she had no intention to wait for his marriage to Freyda to end, he'd had similar moments. There were times after he learned of her second marriage that he wanted to fly to Bon Temps and do the very same thing. He'd hated her marrying Sam, but he'd understood it because he thought she'd been trying to make sure she didn't spend her human life alone. But afterwards when it was revealed she was immortal and he'd heard she'd married again? He'd been furious! It was like she'd spat in the face of their love, but even then he knew he'd had no right to feel that way. He couldn't fault Sookie for doing her best to be happy when they'd been forced apart. And that was why he let her continue speaking without interruption.

"But I never stopped loving you. I spent a great deal of time and energy forcing myself not to think about you. I even remodeled the house to build a new bathroom because I couldn't stand to be in that shower ever again."

"Oh Sookie."

"The first few years I had a string of one night stands. I would go into the city, get drunk, and then pick up some strange guy."

"But what about their thoughts?"

Tears filled Sookie's eyes as she explained, "That was the whole point. With them inside my head there was no room for your memory, and it was the only relief I truly had. I didn't care if they were wondering if my boobs were real, or if I was really a blonde. I didn't care if they were thinking they wished I waxed instead of trimmed my lady parts. I didn't care if they thought I was a whore. None of it mattered to me. What mattered was that for those brief moments when their skin was against mine, when their thoughts filled my head, the pain I felt from you leaving was gone."

Wiping the tears from her cheek as she remained pressed against Eric's side, Sookie continued, "I was starting to hate myself. More and more everyday. I was just starting to really understand supe politics and the fact you really and truly couldn't have gotten out of the marriage contract without Felipe's help or the Cluviel Dor."

Eric could tell that Sookie was working up to something big, and he worried what it was. He did not begrudge her partaking in meaningless sex once he was gone. He'd certainly tried to drown his sorrows in endless parades of fangbanger after fangbanger, desperately trying to fill the void Sookie's loss left inside him.

Staring out into the night, Sookie continued her tale. "Sam knew I was losing it. He kept trying to help me. Jason kept trying to help me. Alcide kept trying to help me. Everyone kept saying I needed to talk to someone, get some help, and move on, but I couldn't. By that point my guilt was killing me. I finally realized that I'd lost you, and it was mostly my fault. I hated myself. I hated myself and I was starting to hate Sam. Every time I saw him it was a reminder I'd saved him instead of you. I grew more bitter by the day, and Sam knew it."

Eric gave Sookie a moment to collect herself before asking, "What happened?"

The memory she was about to share with Eric was not her finest moment, but Sookie knew she had to tell him. "One night I snapped. It was Saturday night and Sam and I were the last ones at the bar. We were closing up and he tried to talk to me. I kept ignoring him, and finally he yelled at me why did I save his life if I obviously resented him being alive."

Eric stayed very still as he pressed, "What did you say?"

"Nothing. I just hauled off and punched him in the nose. And it was like a dam was unleashed. I just started punching and kicking him. I clawed and spit and screamed, and was basically a wild animal. I just kept attacking him over and over, doing anything and everything I could to hurt him and draw blood … and he let me. Sam did nothing to defend himself, and he did nothing to stop me. He just let me hit him, and hit him, and hit him, and hit him. I kept hitting him until my body gave out and I just fell onto the floor.

"We were both bloody messes by that point. My knuckles were raw, the skin completely torn off. I'd even ripped off a fingernail somehow too. Not to mention I had a lot of Sam's blood on me. And Sam was so much worse. I left three scars on him that night that never healed. One right over his eye that went right through his eyebrow."

Eric was shocked by what he was hearing, but again he remained silent. He could practically feel Sookie's shame and heartbreak radiating off her body as she spoke, and he would do nothing to stop her from excising the poison of this wound.

Sookie's voice was low, filled with regret and shame as said, "It seemed like we just laid there for hours staring at each other. Well, Sam stared at me the best he could with one eye. The other one was completely swelled shut and bleeding badly. We didn't say anything. We just stared at each other."

Her voice was far away now as she lost herself entirely to her memory. "I remember just laying there and staring at him. I just kept thinking over and over that you were gone. You were gone and you were never coming back. At that time we didn't know about the Cluviel Dor's effect on me. I just kept looking and him and thinking I'd lost you. I'd really lost you. Then all of a sudden I was filled with a second wind and I lunged at him."

"You attacked him again?"

"Not exactly."

Taking a deep breath Sookie said, "I started kissing him and he kissed me back and then we were fucking. It was over pretty quick and once it was I started balling. Sam was starting to heal pretty well by then since he was a shifter, so he picked me up and carried me to his trailer. He laid us both down in his bed, curled up around me, and simply held me while I cried myself to sleep. The next morning I woke up and we talked. I told him how I'd been feeling, and he told me he was sorry I regretted my choice but it wasn't his fault and there was nothing he could do about it now. He told me I could either be miserable or I could find a way to be happy, but he was tired of feeling like it was his fault I'd lost you. I knew he was right, but it didn't keep me from blaming him. So I asked for some time off from the bar. I knew I needed to get my head on right, and I couldn't do that while trying to live my life as if nothing had happened."

Glad that Eric wasn't saying anything, Sookie pressed forward. "First I went on a vacation. I had the money my grandfather had left me, so I rented a house in the Virgin Islands for two months. I did nothing but snorkel, take diving lessons, swim with dolphins, tan, and read. Though I stayed well away from any romance novels. I just did anything and everything I could to not think about a thing."

"Did it work?"

"In a way."

"Meaning?"

"I found out I was pregnant, and everything changed."

Eric was silent a moment. He didn't know why, but he'd assumed that Sookie hadn't gotten pregnant until after she and Sam had gotten back together. Of course it wasn't like he'd been able to keep the best tabs of her over the years, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

"It was like everything became clear. I couldn't have you, but I could have a family. I could have children to love unconditionally."

"So you went home and married Sam?"

Sookie laughed, "No. No, that's not how it happened. I did go home, and I of course told Sam that he was going to be a dad, but we didn't get together. We sat down and talked, and while I still had a lot of resentment for him, I was finally starting to accept the fact it wasn't his fault. He didn't ask me to save him with the Cluviel Dor, and he had no part in forcing you to Oklahoma. I still wished you were with me, but I was also thankful one of my dreams was coming true. I was going to be a mom.

"So that's what I did. I focused completely and totally on getting ready to have a baby. Any time I started to think dark thoughts, anytime I started to lose myself to memories of you, I'd force myself to think about my baby. When Adele was born it did so much to help me heal. The first time I saw her I truly believed it was worth losing you to have her. She was my saving grace."

Eric could not begrudge Sookie her feelings. In fact he was glad she'd had her daughter to help her out of the depression she'd fallen into. "So when did you and Sam get together?"

"We slept together a few times the first two years of Adele's life, but it wasn't until her third birthday we decided to make a go at dating. Once I found out I was pregnant I never had a one night stand again, so each time with Sam was more about relieving stress than anything. It was the same for him. Once he found out I was pregnant he stopped trying to find a girlfriend, and we both dedicated ourselves to raising Adele. We actually only dated for a few weeks before deciding to get married."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We knew we were never going to love each other as anything more than friends. We were ok with that. We decided being married was the best thing. It would provide Adele with a stable home, and it would keep us from being alone. It was—comfortable. We were comfortable with each other. I'm not saying we were never happy, because we certainly made many happy memories together, and I definitely loved Sam more and more every year, but it was always as a best friend and companion. He knew that, and I knew he felt the same for me. We never doubted what we were and weren't to each other, but we were happy. Of course we had more children and that certainly enriched our lives, but ultimately being together was comfortable for us."

"You stayed with him to the end?"

Looking up at Eric where her head rested on his shoulder, Sookie replied, "Of course I did! I may not have been in love with Sam, but he was my husband. He was a good, kind, and honorable man. When he started to get older and I stayed the same he tried to tell me that it would be ok if I wanted to leave him for someone who wouldn't grow old on me, but I refused. It didn't matter to me what he looked like. He was my husband. I continued to make love to him until his body failed him, and then I cared for him until the end."

Sookie had long ago made peace with Sam's death, so she did not cry as she carried on. "His passing hurt me, and I certainly grieved, but I wasn't as devastated as I was with you. I think part of that was because I had so long to prepare myself for it. About 10 years into our marriage it was obvious Sam was getting older and I wasn't. By then 14 years had passed since I'd used the Cluviel Dor, and while I took care of myself even plastic surgery couldn't have kept me looking as good as I am for my age. So I spent nearly 40 years preparing myself to lose him. I will always love Sam for the children and memories he gave me, for the friendship he offered unconditionally, but I was able to move on from his death without falling apart as I did with your loss."

"I'm glad. I would have hated for you to suffer as you had a second time."

"Me too."

Leaning down to kiss the top of Sookie's head, Eric asked, "And Marcus? Did you marry him for the same reasons?"

Sookie wasn't ready to discuss Marcus yet, and said as much. "Eric, we're going to have to leave that for another night. The way Marcus and I came together is very complicated, and I don't have the energy to get into it with you right now. Let's talk about something else."

"Are you truly so tired?"

"Let's see you watch after 6 kids between the ages of 10 and 2 so your daughters can have a spa day and see how you spry you are that night!"

Eric laughed and decided that Sookie was right. They'd discussed enough of the hard topics tonight. He still had three more months before Marcus came back from his business trip, and that was more than enough time to discuss the man's relationship with Sookie.

So instead he said, "Tell me of these little demons you call grandkids. I believe you mentioned something earlier about needing to childproof your wallpaper?'

Rolling her eyes, Sookie commented, "You'd think after 200 years they'd have found a way to get Sharpie off of things! And where the hell those kids got permanent markers is beyond me. I always put things like that away when there are going to be young kids in the house! I'm just know it was Tara that gave them to them! She swears up and down it wasn't her, but anytime she gets that innocent look on her face she's up to no good."

"Do tell."

The tension of the evening faded away as Sookie began to regale Eric with tales of her supe children. They laid together in the night, staring up at the stars, and talked. Both knew hard discussions were coming their way, but for now they were content to be together as friends.


	7. Chapter 7

You guys are going to hate me for this one, but I promise the angst will be over quickly. I just couldn't write a story without some drama.

No beta or proofing. As is.

Chapter 7

Sookie arrived at Eric's compound just a little after sunset. She was well known by his security and staff by this point, so no one bothered her as she headed straight for Eric's private elevator and used the key he'd given her to take her up to his exclusive levels. She and Eric had been seeing each other for three months now, and they still had two left before her husband was to return. While she and Eric had come far since they'd begun their unconventional arrangement, there were still many issues and obstacles they would need to overcome. Not only had they not discussed her marriage to Marcus at all, but they had also not discussed exactly what it was Eric wanted from her. She knew he wanted them to be lovers again, but he was a king and she'd done her very best to keep herself and her family out of supe politics. She didn't see how things could work between them. She refused to have the kind of relationship she had with him before. Needless to say they still had a lot to talk about.

Making her way into Eric's private quarters she quickly spotted him in front of the fireplace, but he was talking on his phone so she headed into the kitchen to get herself a drink so he could finish his conversation. When she returned to the living area Eric was just finishing up his business. When he turned to face her she could easily tell there was something amiss, and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, but something inconvenient has arisen."

"Oh?"

"Yes. A Council representative has arrived to inspect my kingdom."

While Sookie was much better educated about supe politics than she had been 200 years ago, she didn't understand why Eric was under investigation and asked, "Is this bad?"

Shaking his head, Eric answered, "No. It is procedure. Every time a new monarch rises to power they must meet the approval of the Council. It is routine. They allowed me time to get everything settled, and now they will ensure my rule is stable."

"Well that doesn't sound too bad."

Reaching out to take Sookie's hand and pull her closer Eric brushed a strand of hair away from her face, and explained, "It is not dangerous, but it is time consuming and tedious. It will take the better part of a week to walk the investigator through everything, and unfortunately it is not a task I can delegate to anyone else."

Understanding what Eric was saying, Sookie speculated, "So I guess this means I can't see you this week, huh?"

"I wish it were not so, Sookie, but this is not something I can put off. While I am king, I cannot afford to anger the Council."

"I understand. One week isn't that long. It's ok."

Kissing Sookie's forehead, Eric lamented, "It is a very long time if it means being away from you. I had hoped to keep the Council at bay until after things were settled between us."

Sookie was going to tell Eric it wasn't that big of a deal, that she was fine waiting to see him for another week, but instead she offered, "How about I come with you?"

"Pardon?"

"Would it be alright for me to come with you?"

Eric was all astonishment as he asked, "You wish to do this?" Sookie had always done her best to stay out of the politics of his world, and the few times she had insinuated herself had not gone well for her. He was surprised by her request to say the least.

Nodding her head Sookie explained, "Eric, you're a king now, and if we should decide to make a go at a relationship again this is a part of you I cannot ignore. When you were sheriff I had little to no knowledge or involvement in your dealings. It can't be like that again. It is all or nothing."

"So you would consent to be my queen? To rule beside me?"

"Is that even possible? I'm not a vampire."

"It has never been done before, but I doubt that anyone would attempt to stop us if I were to name you my queen."

"I'm not sure I want to take it that far, but I don't want to be completely clueless about you or your actions as I was before. I do my best to keep my family and my town out of supe politics, but if I am with you I will have to at least be a part of your kingdom."

Eric was infinitely pleased. Sookie had always wanted to avoid the tangled web of supernatural dealings, and over the past 200 years she had done her best to keep clear of them. In his mind this was a positive step in the right direction. Taking her hand and kissing it, Eric said, "I would be honored if you were to accompany me tonight. I wish to show you my kingdom and see the changes I have made. I think you will be particularly impressed by my Integration Program."

"Well than lead the way tall, blonde, and handsome!"

A few minutes later Eric escorted Sookie into his office where the Council representative and his bodyguards were waiting. Nodding his head, Eric greeted, "Mr. Claudius, it is very good to see you. I hope you weren't kept waiting long. My assistant provided refreshments I hope?"

Nodding his head, the Council investigator replied, "I was provided with an excellent donor upon arrival. My party and I are ready to proceed." Turning to look at Sookie he added, "Unless, of course, you have not yet fed yourself?"

Both Eric and Sookie stiffened at the implication she was a donor before Eric set his hand atop hers where it was tucked in his arm, and explained, "Sookie is not a donor, Mr. Claudius. She is an old friend of mine, and greatly admired by me. I must insist you treat her with the respect she deserves."

Mr. Claudius remained silent for a moment before asking, "You are not _the_ Sookie, are you? The one King Northman lost so long ago?"

Glancing up at Eric before focusing on the Council representative again, Sookie replied, "Eric and I were married once if that answers your question."

"My word! I have heard tales of you. I mean I doubt there is anyone in the supernatural world that has not heard of you, but I never expected to actually meet you!"

"Well here I am, Mr. Claudius," Sookie replied dryly.

Mr. Claudius stood from his seat and inclined his head as he insisted, "You must call me Roman. I have long wished to make your acquaintance, but you are not an easy woman to get access too."

"By design, Roman." Sookie wasn't sure if she liked this vampire or not, and continued, "I find the politics of the supernatural world, the Council in particular, to be trying, unfair, hypocritical, and outdated. I choose not to take part in supe politics unless absolutely necessary."

Eric couldn't help but grin at Sookie's candidness. If anyone was going to insult a high ranking Council member to their face it would be his spirited Sookie. Still, her words could have repercussions and he readied himself should Roman and his guards attempt to punish her for them. If he had to take on the Council to stand at Sookie's side so be it.

Roman studied Sookie and Eric intensely. He had been surprised greatly by Sookie's comment. While it was true, he was not used to such honesty. Strangely he found himself impressed with her, and laughed, "You are certainly as outspoken as the stories of you told. Every organization or ruling body has its flaws, Mrs. Stackhouse, but the Council is changing. In fact there are many of us in the Council who are actively promoting even further change. Perhaps it is something we could discuss during my visit here?"

"Perhaps," Sookie replied noncommittally before adding, "and it is Mrs. Radke. I married some years back."

Roman looked back and forth between Eric and Sookie for a moment before replying, "Of course. I have heard of your demon husband as well. We attempted negotiations with him a few years ago, but he was not interested."

Sookie knew what Roman was referring to. The Council had angered a large portion of the ruling body of the fire demon realm and had approached Marcus about representing them in peace negotiations. Marcus, while not deeply involved in demon affairs, had wisely chosen not to accept the offer. Sookie remembered that things had been tense for nearly two years, with quite a few assassinations, before the Council had been able to appease the demons.

"Marcus, much like myself, has little tolerance for power plays," Sookie replied before looking up at Eric and asking, "So what are we going to see first?"

Roman's brow rose as he questioned, "Are you accompanying us tonight, Mrs. Radke?"

Nodding his head, Eric answered for the both of them, "She is. Sookie has not yet had a chance to see my kingdom and I thought to kill two birds with one stone."

Roman once again looked between Eric and Northman, observing their joined arms, and finally declared, "Well then let us begin the tour. I am most anxious to speak more with Mrs. Radke, and to see your kingdom. Many of us believed you would make a wonderful monarch Eric. We are eager to see the approach you are taking as a king."

"Well then shall we begin with the surveillance and security department?"

"Very well."

…

…

…

Much later that evening Roman kissed Sookie's outstretched hand and said, "It was a pleasure, Mrs. Radke, and I do hope to see more of you during my stay here."

"Oh I'm sure I'll be around," Sookie replied. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Roman Claudius, but as far as vampires went he certainly wasn't the worst she'd encountered.

Eric bid Roman a good night and nodded at one of his attendants to see the Council entourage to their suite of rooms for the evening. When they were gone he looked down at Sookie and asked, "What did you think?"

"I think you are a very fair and capable ruler. You will be a great king."

"I am glad you think so. I hope you continue to be impressed with everything as the tour continues … you will be coming back tomorrow night, yes?"

Nodding her head, Sookie affirmed, "Yes, I think I would like to see everything. I should also give Roman a chance to talk to me. He obviously was waiting for an opportunity tonight, but you were good not to give him one."

"Noticed that did you?"

"I did. What do you think he wants?"

"I am not sure. I do not think he expected to see you here. The Council has been trying to recruit you for years, and he might simply want to speak with you about that. Being the one to bring you in to their fold could be a major boost to his career."

Looking down the hallway Roman and his men had disappeared, Sookie commented, "Let's hope that's all it is. He didn't know me by sight so that says he wasn't expecting me to be here."

"I will look into it. Are you leaving now? Or can you stay a bit longer?"

Checking her watch, Sookie said, "I can stay another hour or so."

"Then I would very much like us to talk."

"I kind of thought you would be all talked out by this point. Roman did have a lot of questions."

Taking Sookie's hand and leading her towards his elevator, Eric replied, "He did at that, but I will always have the desire to talk to you, and I believe there are some things we need to discuss."

"There are."

A few minutes later Sookie and Eric were seated in his living area. They were sitting on opposite couches facing each other and Eric saw no point in beating around the bush. "We need to talk about what is going to happen in the next two months, Sookie … and we need to discuss Marcus."

Sookie knew this was a conversation she could no longer avoid, and she knew it was one that would determine the course of her relationship with Eric. He might very well hate her after she told him what he needed to know. "You're right. We need to talk about it."

"Tell me about Marcus."

Eric knew only the bare minimum about Marcus and Sookie's relationship. By the time she'd met him she had grown in power immensely and had already begun fortifying Bon Temps against outsiders. Because of that he had only known when she got married, and that she had continued having children with her new husband. He had background information on Marcus, but only what small pieces his spies were able to uncover. Demons were very secretive. He knew hearing about Sookie's husband, how they came to be married, was not going to be pleasant, but it had to be done. If he didn't know why Sookie had married Marcus, how it was they came together, it would make it that much harder to break them apart and get her to leave him.

Kicking off her heels Sookie tucked her legs under her to get more comfortable on the couch and began, "I met Marcus about ten years after Sam died. The night I met him he tried to kill me."

Eric's fangs dropped down and he hissed, "What the fuck! And he is still breathing why?"

"Because even as we fought I could tell he wanted to lose. Marcus—well—he wasn't in a good place back then. He might have been hired to kill me, but he came after me so I would kill him."

"I don't understand. Who hired him to kill you?"

"Your wife."

Eric froze. He had heard the words Sookie said, but for some reason they wouldn't process. Finally he demanded, "Explain."

"Freyda hired Marcus to kill me. Off the books. No one was supposed to know."

"Freyda tried to have you killed?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You know why. Everyone in the supe world knew how much she wanted you to care for her, to be loyal to her. She was practically obsessed with you."

"And why am I just learning of this now?"

Sookie could see the emotions roiling around inside Eric's head through his eyes, and she cautioned, "Eric, what I am about to tell you is not good. It could have you walking away from me forever. Knowing this, do you wish to continue?"

Eric couldn't imagine what Sookie could have to say that would have him abandoning his love for her, his pursuit of her, but he was willing to bet his undead existence he'd be pissed at her and would do a great deal of yelling. She looked guilty. Very guilty.

"Tell me everything."

"I am going to start at the beginning. I ask that you not interrupt."

"Very well."

Letting her mind cast back to that time in her life, Sookie explained, "Marcus ambushed me on my way home from a girls night with a few were friends of mine. I had gone into Shreveport to go dancing with them. Marcus threw a fireball at my car."

"I will kill him!"

"Eric! You promised! Sit down and hear what I have to say!"

Eric had jumped to his feet when Sookie told her of Marcus's attack, and reluctantly retook his seat as he growled, "What the fuck could have happened to have you marrying the man that tried to kill you!"

Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, Sookie continued, "Obviously his attack didn't work out and soon enough we were fighting. By that point I had mastered much of my fairy powers and was more than holding my own, but if Marcus had really wanted to kill me he could have. I knew that even as we were trading blows. He left so many openings, and made so many mistakes I knew he either had to be incredibly stupid or—"

"He wasn't trying that hard to kill you."

"Exactly. Eventually I got him pinned down and was going to end it."

"What stopped you?"

"His eyes."

"His eyes?"

"Yes."

Shaking with anger, Eric demanded, "And what was so fucking great about his eyes that you spared the life of a man that had attacked you!"

Refusing to let her emotions get the best of her as Eric was doing, Sookie replied calmly, "I saw myself in them."

Before Eric could say anything, Sookie continued, "In his eyes, Eric, I saw the same pain and devastation that I felt when you were taken from me. I saw a heart and soul broken and ready to be free of pain. I saw a man who no longer had a will to live, and I remembered what it was like to feel that way."

Eric didn't have a response to that. He could only watch as Sookie's eyes filled with tears, tears for the pain her husband had been in, and he hated it. He hated that she could feel so much for a man that wasn't him. Her children were different. He loved his own children, and he would not begrudge Sookie the love of a mother, but the love she had as a woman was supposed to be his!

"Eric, at that point Marcus felt he had nothing left to live for. His entire human family was dead. His lover, who had been pregnant with his unborn child, had been killed in a car accident, and his demon family couldn't help him."

"And why couldn't they help him?"

"Because his demon family did not know how to console a half human relation on the loss of the humans he had loved. Death goes hand in hand with life in the demon realm. You know they are more bloodthirsty than even vampires, and they did not understand his desire to have a life of love and peace. He felt completely and utterly alone in the world, and he felt like he had nothing left to live or fight for."

Needing Eric to understand why both she and Marcus had made the decisions they had, Sookie explained, "Natalie had been dead for a little over a year. She had been his whole world for nearly a decade, and she is the one that helped him get over the loss of his human family when the last one succumbed to time. When she died it killed something inside of him, just as your loss killed something inside of me. He lost all sense of self and when Freyda approached him with the job he decided to take it."

"Why? Why take up a job as a killer if he was so lost and broken?"

"Honestly? I don't know. To this day Marcus can't tell me why he took the job. When I ask he said that for some reason he just wanted to do it when Freyda offered it to him. He figured he'd either kill me and make a lot of money, enough to support the alcohol and drug addiction he'd formed since Natalie's death for awhile, and if he failed he'd be dead. Either way he would benefit."

"And this is the man you call husband?"

Shaking her head, Sookie replied, "No. My Marcus, the man I call husband, is nothing like the man I faced that night. Marcus has come a long way, and I like to think that I helped him the same way Adele and Sam helped me."

"I still don't understand."

"You will." Taking a sip of water from her glass on the coffee table, Sookie continued, "I didn't kill him that night. I just asked who sent him. He refused to answer so I let him go."

"You let him go?"

"Yes."

"Why? Why release a man that had just tried to kill you! Sookie, none of these actions make sense."

Sookie gave Eric a soft smile and said, "I hate to break it to you, Viking, but sometimes people do senseless things for no damn good reason. Just like Marcus can't explain why he decided to take a job as a killer when he'd never killed outside of self defense before, I can't explain why I let him go that night … or any of the nights after that."

"Any of the other—fuck! Did he go after you again?!"

"Yes. For nearly a year Marcus looked for any opportunity to attack me. He only did it when I was alone, and never once came near my family, though he obviously could have. Every time we would fight, I would win, and I would let him go. Then he'd come back and we'd do our dance all over again."

"That is the stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard."

Laughing, Sookie replied, "I know! Hearing it out loud it is so stupid, but that is what happened. He could never bring himself to put his all into killing me, and I could never bring myself to finish him when he gave me an opening to do so."

Eric was completely baffled by all of this, and asked, "So what changed?"

"One day I was driving down the road to meet Adele for lunch and he just stepped out onto the road in front of my car. I got out, ready to fight, and he told me he wasn't there to fight."

"What was he there to do?"

"He said he needed to ask me a question."

"What was it?"

Grinning, Sookie answered, "The same one you have—why wouldn't I kill him?"

Eric's fangs were begging to bury themselves into Marcus by this point, and he grumbled, "It is a damn good question."

"And I'll tell you the same thing I told Marcus."

"Which is?"

"I don't believe in suicide."

Eric was silent as he looked at Sookie and she continued, "He just stood there, and I told him that I didn't commit suicide when I lost everything, and I wouldn't be the tool someone else used to kill himself. I told him I didn't know what it was he had lost, but I know how it felt to feel like there was no reason to keep going."

"What did he say?"

Sookie's smile was sad as she replied, "He asked what I had lost. I said I'd lost everything once. My family, my friends, my innocence, my love."

"Sookie," Eric whispered softly, aching for the pain he could see in her eyes as she remembered all the people she'd lost over the years, the parts of herself that had been torn out of her by the cruelty of his world and hers.

Holding up her hand, Sookie admonished, "Don't, Eric. We both know what my past entailed, and I have made peace with it. We are talking about Marcus now."

"Very well. Go on."

"At that point Marcus asked me how I went on if I'd lost everything. He asked me if I truly knew how he felt how I could come back from such darkness."

"And what did you say?"

"I told him I found a reason to live, and he needed to do the same. Then I got back in my car and left. He didn't follow and I didn't see him again for a month."

Amazed by the story he was hearing, as he had imagined a very different scenario of Sookie's meeting her husband, Eric asked, "What happened when he came back?"

"He came up to me one day while I was working in the garden. I was living at home alone back then as mine and Sam's youngest, Max, had already graduated college at that point. He came up while I was pulling weeds and asked if I could show him how to live again. I said yes and handed him a pair of garden gloves. He dropped to his knees next to me and we spent the rest of the day pulling weeds and planting my new tomato seedlings."

"You're joking."

"I shit you not. I know it sounds like something out of the Twilight Zone, but that is exactly what happened. When we were finished in the garden I showed him where the guest bedroom was and gave him some of Sam's old clothes. We got cleaned up and had diner, and then we both went to bed."

Running a hand through his hair, Eric admonished, "Sookie! Do you know how fucking crazy that sounds? A demon tries to kill you repeatedly and you invite him to diner!"

"I know, but it is how it happened." Before Eric could start yelling, Sookie clarified, "I couldn't abandon him, Eric. I've been where he was, and I couldn't leave him like that. I don't know where I would have been if I hadn't gotten pregnant with Adele. Marcus had no one and nothing."

He couldn't fault her for wanting to help someone in pain. It was one of the things he admired most about her. He still wanted to know about Freyda though, and how Sookie got from trying to help Marcus not commit suicide to marrying him.

"So what happened next?"

"Well the next day after breakfast I asked why he had tried to kill me. It was then that he explained how Freyda had approached him in an alley one night after he'd just scored his next hit from some dealer outside of Tulsa. She promised him enough money and drugs to last him the next hundred years as long as he killed me."

"Did he ask why she wanted you dead?"

Shaking her head, Sookie said, "No. He just took the money and headed for Louisiana, but we were pretty much able to put the pieces together."

Eric was silent a moment and deduced, "Freyda thought if you died I would want to stay with her. I would no longer have a reason to leave her."

"Pretty much. I filled Marcus in on you, me, Freyda and what had happened between us. He apologized, and I forgave him."

Sookie waited. She waited to see the understanding come into Eric's eyes, and she just hoped it wasn't accompanied by hate.

It didn't take long for Eric to demand, "Sookie, why did you not make this known? At that point you had enough of a reputation to get the Council to hear a complaint from you! If Freyda was found guilty of trying to kill you it would have been in violation of my marriage contract and I would have been free! We would have been free to be together!"

Looking into Eric's heated gaze, Sookie hoped he wouldn't hate her for what she was about to say, and answered, "I decided the risk was too great to go after her."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Eric, I had no proof that Freyda had hired Marcus. No one saw their meeting, no evidence of it existed, and the money and drugs she'd given him were untraceable. All we had was Marcus's word."

"There is still the chance the Council would have sided with you! Especially with your new powers and shifter connections!"

Feeling her age at the moment, Sookie sighed, "And that was exactly the problem. Eric, I had a family at that point. I had children and grandchildren. I had a life and people who depended on me to keep Bon Temps safe."

Her heart hurt to be telling Eric this, it hurt when she made this decision, and she could only hope that he would understand her reasoning. Back then she had been angry with him, especially after he came to ask her to be his mistress when Sam had died, but she had never stopped loving him. She was certain a part of her heart would always belong to Eric.

"I knew that the Council would side with me. Freyda was a nobody, and as you yourself proved easily replaced, but me? The Council had been panting after having control over me for decades at that point. I knew if I took the charges before them that some back room meeting would have taken place and they would make it clear to me they'd only charge and execute Freyda, they'd only free you, if I would work for them. That would mean immersing myself and my family in the Council."

The truth hit Eric like a ton of bricks. '_She had a chance to save me over a century ago. She had a chance to save us again, and she didn't take it!_' At first the agony in his heart threatened to overwhelm him and Eric found he couldn't look at her anymore. He shot from the couch to go stand at the massive wall of windows his apartment had. He looked over the city, the kingdom he had claimed to have the woman behind him, and wondered if his Maker had been right. Was love truly the downfall of all vampires? It certainly felt like his love for Sookie was killing him now.

Sookie gave Eric a moment to process what she had just told him before offering quietly, "I chose my family over you, Eric, and I hated myself for it. I still do. Especially now that I know how much you suffered while in Oklahoma, but at that point I couldn't do anything else. I was strong, yes, but not strong enough to keep my children and grandchildren from being used as pawns in supe politics if I aligned myself with the Council.

"Eric, I don't want you to think I didn't come for you out of anger. Yes, I was angry at the way you left me, and I was angry you could ask me to be your mistress not once, but twice, but it was fear for my children that kept me from getting you out of your marriage to Freyda."

When Eric said nothing, merely continued to gaze out at the city below them, she continued, "Marcus and I decided the best thing to do was alert Freyda to the failed assassination attempt. I called her and told her if she ever tried to come after me or anyone in my family again I would approach the Council. She was smart enough to know they'd want me over her, and she never bothered me again. To my knowledge at least."

Standing from the couch and approaching Eric slowly, Sookie begged, "Eric, please, you have to understand I was afraid. I missed you. I was still angry, but I missed you. You have to know I missed you. I still loved you and I did want you back, but my past experiences taught me that no one close to me would be safe if I immersed myself in the supe world again. I—I couldn't let that happen. I had to make a choice."

"And it was not me … again."

"Eric, I—"

"Sookie, I need you to go."

"Eric, please! You have to let me explain!"

Eric's voice was dead calm, devoid of all emotion, as he replied, "I do understand. My mind knows you made the wisest choice. You were not as strong or as well connected back then as you are now, and you had children to think of. I understand this. My brain can acknowledge the rightness of your choice, but my heart—I—Sookie, I need you to go. I must think about this. I must think about what this means for us. Please, go. I will contact you."

Sookie stared at Eric's back for a moment, silently willing him to turn around and look at her, before her head fell and she whispered, "I'm sorry."

She turned and gathered her belongings and left the apartment without a word. She couldn't help but wonder if that was truly the last time she would ever see Eric Northman.


End file.
